


Nemesis

by DarkZorua100



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Character Death, Dark Signer AU, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, should this be tagged as necrophilia?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-19
Updated: 2018-11-23
Packaged: 2019-05-09 02:39:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 28,186
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14707548
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkZorua100/pseuds/DarkZorua100
Summary: Ten years ago, six children were kidnapped one-by-one, each imprisoned in a white room with nothing but VR equipment. They were forced to duel for even a chance of surviving. Should they lose, they were electrocuted and starved. Ten years ago, those same six children died within captivity, some from the electrical shocks, others from starvation, while the rest just couldn’t take the stress no longer. Their bodies laid where they had fallen, the ones that had stolen their lives away from them fleeing the scene before the police showed up.However, when the authorities arrived, none of the bodies were found.Ten years later, Kogami Ryoken swears he is being haunted by the ghost of one of those children he regrets not saving when he should have all those years ago.Only this ghost didn’t seem to be all that dead...and very much older for that matter.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> So if any of you follow me on Tumblr, you knew this was coming. I'm seriously convinced these children would have died if Ryoken didn't save them when he did and that's how this whole mess started.
> 
> What would have happened if Ryoken didn't call the police when he did? 
> 
> The Dark Signers part was just an added bonus. Dark Signer!Yusaku/Playmaker just sounded amazing, same with Spectre, Jin, and especially Takeru (at the time of writing this, the big conspiracy is if Takeru/Soulburner is going to turn evil or not and well, if he doesn't, we have this for that (because if I don't get evil!Soulburner in canon, I'm taking full advantage of this then, just saying). 
> 
> Speaking of which, for the people that happen to read this in the future when Vrains is over and done with, most of this is pure speculation on my part. Only 52 episodes in at the time of posting this so let's see how much this is going to be changed by the time all six kids are revealed and so on. My guess, a lot.

_ We wanted to create humanity’s saviors. It wasn’t supposed to end like this. _

When Dr. Kogami Kiyoshi, a top researcher at SOL Technologies, first approached her, stating he has admitted her work in the field of science from a far for some time now, and requested that she would work with him and his colleagues in achieving his goal of creating the next generation of AIs, Taki Kyoko was beyond honored and accepted the position right away without giving much thought into what it actually entitled her to do.

Things started out as how she expected them to go. They made their models, based after the Six Attributes of Duel Monsters, they programmed everything the AIs needs to know of humans and their way of thinking, but if these AIs were going to succeed humanity when they were long gone from this world, they needed to think for themselves. They needed a free will, just like any human did.

That’s when her morals were brought into question about what she was really doing when Dr. Kogami brought in the children one by one and forced them to duel. He stated how dueling was the best way for the AIs to understand humans and our ways. He also said that children were also critical to the learning process since children saw the world much differently than any adult did, that for the AIs to really be our saviors, they needed to have a child-like curiosity to be able to grow and evolve.

It made sense in theory but to see it up close, to stand behind a monitor and watch as these children went through this horrible experience, from being electrocuted and starved should they lose a duel to not even getting much to eat and no answers to why they were here in the first place should they win, it made Kyoko question what she was truly doing here.

_ This is for the future of humanity.  _ She would continue to tell herself whenever she would see a child being thrown back into the white walls that surrounded them, keeping them prisoners, no simply lab rats, here when they lost a duel.  _ It might seem inhuman now but they are contributing to humanity’s future. They will be looked back on as heroes who helped to create our saviors. _

That didn’t stop her from throwing up her lunch everytime she left though. Not that she had much to vomit up in the first place. The sight made her lose her appetite very quickly.

Months went by and it was the same sight every day. No matter how many times she would remind herself that they were doing this for the right cause, Kyoko honestly didn’t know how much more of this she could take. Kogami stated that they were getting close, that the Ignises, as he has dubbed to name the AIs they have created after the legends of the fire thieves whose stolen fire from the gods helped humanity to grow to this point, were indeed learning and it wouldn’t be long before they were to be released into the world to start helping humanity. 

A grave error in her judgment was trusting his word, believing that  _ not long  _ would be a week at most. Instead, they were now running into their seventh month since taking these kids. Kyoko had just returned from the market the very next morning, ready to prepare the machines that would deliver food to the children that won their duels and a bottle of water to those that weren’t so fortunate. However, when she sent the drones out and they landed in front of the children in their respective cells, none of them responded, not even a twitch. 

It was strange, Kyoko thought, watching the screens puzzled, usually the children would have torn apart the food by now or at least put the headset back on should they find their  _ reward  _ not up to their standard but there was no movement at all. When she first arrived here, she found the children like this. They were all passed out on the floors, sleeping while they can, but now, after half a year of being trapped here, they have come accustomed to waking up at the sound of the drones that were providing their meals. Yet, not even that caused them to stir.

Now Kyoko was starting to become concern. She reached for the switch that would send a shock to the children through their duel disks hesitantly. She didn’t want to hurt these kids even more then she has already after everything they have been through. Maybe they were all just in a deep sleep, she thought, it was only natural for their young bodies to give out after everything they been through. However, instead of putting her worries at ease, that one simple thought only made them grow ten times worse.

Reluctantly, she pulled the switch.

All six of the duel disks gave out an electrical pulse and all six kids didn’t so much as flinch from the electricity. Now was a cause for alarm. 

Kyoko’s eyes widen and she tried once more to get them to so much as move a finger with another shock but still there was no response. 

“No...this can’t be happening.” Kyoko pushed the button that activates the intercom to the whole building. “Everyone! This is an emergency! Something has gone horribly wrong with the children!”

_ It wasn’t supposed to end like this. It wasn’t supposed to end like  _ **_this_ ** _. _

“Their sacrifices will not be in vain. These children gave their lives for the future of humanity.” Kogami told his subordinate as Aso, a fellow researcher in this whole mess, placed a sheet over the final lost child. A young body whose hair reminded Kyoko of a wisteria tree with its blue and pink coloration. A boy who was taken from this world all to soon...

_ We wanted to create humanity’s saviors... _

Kyoko flinched when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

_...and we succeed. _

“Kyoko, we need to go.” Aso told her.

_ But at what cost? _

“Right…”

Not long after they left, somehow, the word got out about the location of the six children’s bodies. The authorities arrived and raved the whole facility, finding the whole building to be abandoned with the documents on the computers completely deleted, along with the six storage cubes each of the children were locked inside. Once they got the doors opened, the police all expected to find a tiny body of a dead child inside of them.

Instead, there was nothing within expect the VR equipment the children were forced to wear and the single white sheet that was covering their bodies. 

 

_ 10 Years Later… _

 

The room was completely shrouded in darkness. The only form of light came from a single candle in the middle of a round table. If it wasn’t for the small bit of illumination, the six figures that were sitting around the table would have perfectly camouflaged into the darkness. They each wore a black hooded cloak, each with a different color lining.  All of them had their hoods up, hiding their faces from the others in the pitch black area. 

“I’m sorry, but I wasn’t informed beforehand. What this meeting about?” One of the figures asked. The voice was distinguishably male with his robe having red markings.

“Neither were the rest of us.” Another voice spoke. This one was male as well, belonging to the figure in the green cloak. “Can you please explain to us why you brought us here, Playmaker?”

All hoods turned to the one with the purple outlines on their cloak. They were leaning back in their seat but at noticing they had everyone’s attention on them, they sat up in their chair, hands folded on the table.

“The Knights of Hanoi.” The one addressed as “Playmaker” began.

“We have them taken care of.” An addition male voice, echoing from the orange hooded figure, stated.

“The Knights of Hanoi are not what I’ve come to discuss.” Playmaker infomed the room, rolling up the sleeve of his cloak to reveal a duel disk over what appeared to be a black bodysuit underneath the cloak. “It is what I’ve took from them I wanted to bring to everyone’s attention.” He pressed the central orb of the duel disk, activating it. “You may speak now, Ai.”

“Finally!” A loud, robotic-like voice exclaimed. Playmaker turned his duel disk to the side, allowing the other five people in the room to see as a purple eye emerge onto the screen. It took in its surroundings before frowning. For only an eyeball, it was very expressive. “Wow, and I thought your place was depressing, Playmaker-sama…”

“Is that a…?” The only female member in the room, the one dressed in blue, spoke in surprise. She was sitting directly across from Playmaker so she had to lean forward a bit in the dark room to make sure she was seeing this right.

“An Ignis.” The final member of the circle, wearing a robe with yellow markings, concluded. 

The eyeball didn’t seem to take that statement well from the way its eye twitched. “Hey! I’m not just any Ignis! I am Ai! The great and powerful-”

“You named it?” Red cloak interrupted with an amused laugh.

“It refused to give me a name so I didn’t have much of a choice.” Playmaker stated in a matter-of-fact tone. “Just referring to it as “Ignis” would be like referring to a homosapien as human. We are given names for a reason. They define who we are.”

“But why  _ Ai _ ?”

“It is an eyeball and a AI. Ai literally defines who it is.”

“Only you, Playmaker, would take the naming process literally.” Green cloak was even starting to sound amused now from their tone of voice.

“Hey! Ai is an amazing name!” Ai pointed out, narrowing its eye at Green. “I bet your name isn’t as cool as mine! I bet it is something stupid like...green...boy…yeah Green Boy!”

“It sure has a mouth on it for only being an eyeball.” Blue mused looking up from the Ignis back to Playmaker. “But how did you get your hands on it? I thought the Ignises were locked away? Did you finally find a way into the Cyberse?”

Playmaker didn’t even get a chance to explain as Ai jumped in first all dramatically.

“Oh it was just awful! Here I was, just sleeping in my home world, minding my own business-even though I should have been working at the time-when suddenly, a huge cloud of darkness came rolling in and with it came a demon who called himself Revolver! He captured my people and was going to execute them with his dragons! But I wasn’t going to let that happen! With cheers of joy from my fellow Ignis, I appeared to save the day! I fought the fiend with my own two fists but somehow, he was able to survive all the pain I dished out on him! However, he wasn’t prepared for my ultimate attack! I sealed away the Cyberse World at the cost of my own body! Even though I can never return there to receive my praise from my kin for saving their lives, just knowing they are safe is all the reward I need!”

“It got eaten by a dragon and lost most of its data from it. That’s why it's only an eyeball until it's program is repaired.” Playmaker stated nonchalantly, much to Ai’s dismay. “Most of what it says is true though when I went through its memory files. As you all know, the leader of the Knights of Hanoi, Revolver, attacked the Cyberse World, trying to rid the world of our creations. In doing so, we believed that to protect themselves, they sealed themselves and their world away from humans. However, since all the others were captured, Ai had no other choice but to seal the world away from the outside, locking itself out along with the enemy.”

“Five years! Five extremely long years I’ll tell you! You think they would have come looking for me by now but nooo!” Ai went teary eyed. “What did I do to deserve this?!”

“I found it when I was dueling against a Knight of Hanoi, watching me from a gargoyle.” Playmaker continued like Ai never spoke. “I offered it protection in return for its services.”

“You offered me nothing!” Ai corrected, puffing out its eye in annoyance. “It was either come with you or-!”

Playmaker glanced down at the Ignis and Ai very quickly learned to hold its non-existing tongue when cold green eyes with black sclera met its single purple one.

“As I was saying,” Playmaker continued, pushing the mute button on his duel disk to make sure the Ignis stayed permanently silent before addressing his colleagues. “I believe we can use this Ignis to finally put an end to the Knights of Hanoi once and for all. I request you all let me handle the Knights on my own while you all continue our mission as planned.”

“Our process has been slowed since the Knights have decided to be a thorn in our side.” Yellow noted to the rest of the room.

“Allowing Playmaker to intervene with the Ignis would speed things up a bit on my end, I suppose.” Orange added in thought. 

“And with the Knights fully distracted, we can concentrate on getting out birthright back.” Green included.

“I’ve believe we all are in agreement.” Blue concluded turning to the Red member of the group. “Any ejections on your end, Soulburner?”

Red, now formally introduced as Soulburner, shook his head. “No, I believe Playmaker is making the right choice. However,” Soulburner turned to the purple cloak individual, “if things go bad fast with Hanoi or the Ignis…”

“I don’t need a babysitter, Soulburner.” Playmaker stated, firmly.

“No,” Soulburner agreed, looking away from the other. “I suppose you don’t. After all, you already have one, don’t you, Yusaku?”


	2. Haunted

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Regardless of the fact that this is an AU, sorry if some of the characters seem a little to OOC. I'm still trying to figure out how to write some of them, mostly Ai. Writing for the Ignises is going to be a challenge.
> 
> With that out of the way, thank you to everyone who has been sending me such nice messages from the first chapter :) I hope this chapter continues to live up to the hype.

Over the last ten years, the cemetery on the outskirts of Den City has somewhat become a second home to Kogami Ryoken, more so than Link Vrains. When he wasn’t spending his time in Link Vrains as the famous cyber terrorist, Revolver, the leader of the Knights of Hanoi, he was finding himself subconsciously wondering to the graveyard without even realizing it until he was standing in front of a large tombstone, staring at the grave in silence. In this private spot, away from the rest of the graveyard, on top of a hill and underneath a cherry blossom tree, no one was actually buried but was simply a memorial to those whose lives were so cruelly taken away from them when they had simply began. Ryoken didn’t know their names, his father and his assistants wouldn’t tell him when he was a kid and even to this day he still didn’t know, but he didn’t want to leave the headstone blank. 

_ The Lost Children that gave their lives for the future of humanity. _ It read.

Even at the simple age of eight, Ryoken had a decent amount of knowledge to what death was. His father never tried to shelter him from the darkness of the world as a child, instead made him embrace it and face the world head on. Regardless, he was just a kid when his first experience with death hit him full on and with it came the instant regret of not doing anything to prevent it from happening. 

Now staring at the words before him, Ryoken wish he had the ability to see into the future, if not to have prevented this tragedy all so long ago when he could have but so he would have put a different saying on the headstone.

_ The Lost Children that gave their lives for  _ nothing _. _

A month. Somewhere between those first six months they were held in captivity, he could have done something. Something more to help the children through the hell that his father created then simple words of encouragement. He could have called the police, he could have tried to free them himself, but no, none of that happened. Instead, he just cried himself to sleep in the dark corner of the wired filled room his father left him in to tend to his  _ experiments,  _ praying for the six children to finally go silent so he wouldn’t have to hear their cries of pain anymore. And one month later, he finally got his wish when they went silent,  _ permanently _ .

When he finally gathered the courage to tell anyone what was happening, to go against his father and his wishes, it was already to late. All he ended up doing was calling in the paramedics and the police to come collect the bodies.

If he was just one month earlier, maybe this could have all been prevented.

“I’m sorry.”

They were the only words that Ryoken could voice whenever he would come here. Even after ten long years, at eighteen-years-old, he was still as much of a coward as ever to say anything else when he should have. His apology was just words falling on deaf ears. Actions speak louder than words after all and the simple action of not doing anything was all the children needed to know in their graves. 

_ I swear, I’m going to make this right. _

At the bottom of the hill, a lone figure in a black with purple markings cloak turned around from where he was watching Ryoken and left. 

***

Ai has come to the conclusion he didn’t like Playmaker-sama all that much.

Sure on one hand, he was kinda grateful to the boy. Before he found himself a permanent residence of Playmaker’s old fashion duel disk, Ai was always looking over his non-existing shoulder to make sure he wasn’t being followed, always afraid that in just a split second, he would be captured by the Knights of Hanoi, who would torture him into revealing the location of his homeland to them before deleting him, or by SOL Technologies, who, from what Ai could only concur, would simply use him as a battery. Neither of those sounded very appealing to the Ignis. So finally, after five years on the run, being able to relax was a pure blissing.

On the other hand, Ai didn’t appreciate his freedom being taken away and if he knew better, which he did (he is an AI after all) but was stupid enough to not listen to his own calculations for once, he would have just stayed hidden and wouldn’t have gone after the connection he felt. He just wanted to have a look, to see if this was really the kid,  _ his kid,  _ that his program was model after, and then leave. He even had the perfect hiding spot to observe from, there were some advantages to being a simple eyeball, but somehow, he knew he was there, and after taking care of that Knight of Hanoi, Ai found himself trapped within his duel disk with no way out. Huh, no wonder he ended up being so breathtakingly intelligent, even among the other Ignises, his kid was a smart one. 

Which, in his current situation, really wasn’t helping his chances of escaping.

Playmaker had left a while ago with his...family, friends, fellow enslaves of the poor Ignis, Ai had no idea who they were and honestly, he didn’t care all that much if they didn’t plan on killing him. All he needed to know was that they were gone and they stupidly left behind the Ignis by himself who immediately started trying to unlock himself from Playmaker’s duel disk. 

Unfortunately, that was easier said than done, even for an AI like himself. If this was any ordinary program, Ai would have already decoded it, found a way to use it back on Playmaker for daring to take him captive in the first place, and leave with a maniacal laugh at Playmaker’s expense. However, like he stated before, his kid truly was a smart human to have been able to create a program like this and deep down, Ai was honored to have been based on someone who was truly gifted when it came to coding like this. 

But right now, however, that simple acknowledgement only served to infuriate the Ignis.

“This is ridiculous!” The purple eyeball exclaimed. “I refused to be beaten by an inferior, prototype version of me when it comes to something I’m  _ literally _ made of!”

At this point, Playmaker’s duel disk was starting to shake from how enraged the Ignis was and from it struggling to get out. This, in turn, started to shake the table the duel disk was placed upon and that in turned caused the single candle, in the middle of the table, to tip over from all the movement onto the duel disk. 

“How many ones and zeros does one program even need anyway?! This is almost as stupid as the time when…” Ai cut himself off when he saw, out of the corner of his eye, the candle fall over onto his prison, instantly sitting it ablaze.

“AWWWWWWWWWW!” The Ignis screamed, his single eye moving all over the place inside of the duel disk, trying to get free. “AWWWWWWWWWW!”

Out of all the ways he thought he would have died during his time on the run, burning to death wasn’t how he expected to go.

He could already hear the laughter of his fellow Ignises, especially one of said attribute, when they find out just how one of their kind went out.

Was this truly the end for our hero?

“I’ve can’t leave you alone for five minutes without you burning the whole place down.”

Over the flames, Ai could make out the image of someone entering the room. All of these cloak figures looked the same to the Ignis but Ai recognized the voice instantly.

“Playmaker-sama!” Ai cried with virtual tears running down his eye. “Help me!”

Playmaker simply stated at his duel disk.

“What are you waiting for?! I’m going to die!”

“The flames are virtual.”

Ai stopped moving. “Uh...what?”

Playmaker let out a long sigh as he snapped his fingers and just like magic, the fire that surrounded the duel disk disappeared while the candle that started the fire in the first place was resetted to its original position like nothing ever happened.

“We are in Link Vrains, Ai.” Playmaker started like he was talking to child. “If you allow yourself to believe that everything you see is real, then you are allowing it to have power over you and your mind. A creature such as yourself should know that better than anyone, especially since you been here for five years.”

“I...uh…” Ai could feel his single eye heating up in embarrassment at being called out like that. “That’s...where have you been been anyway?” The Ignis tried to change the subject.

“Nowhere you need to know about.” Playmaker answered as he made his way over to his chair and took a seat in front of his duel disk where the Ignis remained. Before Ai could response to that, Playmaker pushed the central orb of the disk, projecting what appeared to be a map of Link Vrains from the sphere. A general amount of the map was highlighted in blue but some of the zones were color coded in red with even fewer marked in yellow.

Ai glanced up at the map, narrowing his eye at it. “What’s this supposed to be for?”

“The areas marked in blue are locations in Link Vrains that are secured.” Playmaker explained. “Locations in red are places where the Knight of Hanoi have already launched attacks with yellow being places we calculated are going to be their next targets.” Playmaker tapped one yellow location in particular, zooming in on it. “This one here is where we decided would be the best place to hold an ambush.”

“An ambush?!” Ai looked over at Playmaker in surprise. “Wait just hold on there for a second. Just how are you going to do that? And for that matter, you said it yourself that the yellow zones are areas you “calculated” they will attack but there are five places total that are yellow! I don’t doubt your calculations, Playmaker-sama, but even so, you have only a 20% chance of picking the right area and that’s not even factoring in the time of when said attack will happen. How are you so sure they will be attacking that area first?”

“I wasn’t. In fact, the whole ambush was going to be scrapped since the odds of it actually working out weren’t in our favor. However, a new factor into the equation has raised that overall percentage to a hundred of them showing up at that area at the exact time we will be there as well.”

“Oh? What factor is that, Playmaker-sama?”

Playmaker glanced down at the Ignis and Ai really didn’t like that look in his dark eyes.

“Live bait.”

***

Ai  _ really  _ didn’t like Playmaker-sama.

After taking a lot longer then he would like to admit to figure out what he meant by  _ live  _ bait, it was already too late to object for the Ignis as he found himself abandoned on top of a skyscraper in Link Vrains, out in the open and completely defenseless.

Five years. Five years he has been on the run from these stupid Knights of Hanoi and all of that time has amounted to nothing because the person he was modeled after, who Ai was dumb enough to believe was at least a decent person, was a complete jerk!

“Okay, calm down, Ai.” He mumbled to himself. “This isn’t so bad. Playmaker did say after all this is an ambush. You are not going to be dying today for almost a second time in a row. Besides,” he laughed nervously, “the odds are in your favor. The chances of a Knight actually showing up are very slim!”

“So the unknown information broker was right.”

Ai’s eye widen in horror at the sight of an all too familiar dragon-like machine that he still had nightmares about to this day for ripping him to pieces and the owner of it. Descending from the Cracking Dragon was a Knight of Hanoi with an all-to-satisfying smile on his face.

_ Well...crap. _

“To think that someone went through all the trouble of capturing you, Ignis, only for them to hand you over to the Knights of Hanoi without asking for anything in return. How unfortunate for them and you but as for me, once I’ve bring you back to Revolver-sama, I see a big promotion in my future!”

“How about you not do that and I’ll just be on my way?” Ai suggested instead, trying to buy some time for Playmaker to unleash whatever the heck his trap was. He just left the Ignis on the roof and then disappeared to wherever the heck he disappeared off to. As much as he didn’t like Playmaker, and he  _ really _ didn’t like him at the current moment, Ai much rather be with him then the Knights who  _ really _ wanted him dead for just existing apparently.

But he didn’t appear and Ai was seriously starting to question if Playmaker was secretly working for the Knights of Hanoi all along, that this was some kind of big plot to capture the Ignis, as the Knight of Hanoi in front of him reached for Playmaker’s duel disk and when he made contract with it, Ai knew he was a goner.

However, the exact opposite happened because as soon as the Knight touched the duel disk, he let out the most horrifying scream Ai has ever heard in his entire existence. Ai’s eye widen in horror as the hand that touched the disk was melting away in what appeared to be a glowing purple acid.

Talk about getting dearmed. 

“How predictable.”

In the middle of that terrifying scene, Ai didn’t notice when Playmaker showed back up, picking up his duel disk and attaching it to his left arm. When he did just that, Ai was able to take his eye away from the sight before him at noticing that Playmaker’s other arm was glowing purple or rather something on it was glowing. On closer examination, it looked to be a tattoo seeping through his bodysuit but one that Ai has never seen before. It looked like some kind of weird claw with three long points. 

“What did you do to him?” Ai asked horrified.

“A simple virus.” Playmaker answered monotone, watching the Knight with a blank expression as they screamed in pure agony as the same glowing mark that was on Playmaker’s arm was slowly being imprinted onto the Knight’s right arm.

Ai has seen viruses before.  _ That _ was no virus.

That was something much worse.

***

Whenever Ryoken takes a visit to the cemetery, he would always send out a message to his three most trusted Knights to inform them not to disturb him while he is away and to inform all the other lower class Knights as well. One, however, didn’t seem to get the message. Any other time, Ryoken would hold up to his namesake as Revolver and execute them on the spot with a said revolver for wasting his time with trivial matters when he was mourning. This time, however, was an exception.

When he received the message from one of his Knights that they had successfully captured the Ignis that has been evading capture of all these years, Ryoken honestly believed it was some kind of sick joke at first. He wasn’t one for laughs to begin with, especially at a time like this, but since all his Knights knew very well what he would do to any of them should they get on his nerves very quickly, he didn’t see what reason they would have to value their lives for such a joke if they weren’t telling the truth.

Still, for the life of him, he couldn’t figure out how they were able to do so. For five years, Ryoken has spend his life trying to catch this irritating program. He been taught by the best when it came to programing and even he wasn’t able to capture the Ignis. So how was a sample hoodlum who knew nothing about programing, as most of his Knights didn’t, able to capture it?

Ryoken logged into the network, appearing in a flash of light in the Knights of Hanoi’s private server hideout as Revolver. He expected to come face to face with the Knight who captured the Ignis but no one was there to greet him. Narrowing his eyes, he turned around and that’s when he encountered the Knight in question.

However, there seemed to be something wrong with this picture.

For one, the Knight of Hanoi didn’t have the Ignis.

For another, he also seemed to be missing something else.

His right hand.

Customizing his avatar with an emotionless face had always been the smartest decision Ryoken has ever made, not that was saying much with his track record. On the outside, as Revolver, he simply stared at the place where the missing appendage should have been unfazed but inside his mind, where Ryoken controlled the body made of data, he was very much questioning why one of his Knights had a limb that was MIA.

Another thing that wasn’t normal when it came to the generic Knight of Hanoi avatar that he created was the fact that on this Knight’s right arm was a glowing purple mark.

**“I was beginning to wonder if you were ever going to show up, Revolver.”** The Knight spoke. His voice was monotone and had a dark echo to it, sounding like there was another person speaking.

Revolver narrowed his golden eyes once more before smirking. “Oh is that so? I must say, I’m impressed. I don’t know who you are or how you did it but you have some guts to not only hack into my server like this but to also call me back here when I was in the middle of something important with that kind of information. Usually I would humor you and myself but you caught me on a bad day, anonymous.”

**“Yes, I suppose I did. Afterall, today is the day when those kids passed, isn’t it?”**

Revolver froze at that statement with Ryoken going wide eyed on the inside.

“...how did you-?”

**“I’m someone who knows a lot of things, Revolver. I believe I know more about you then you know about yourself.”** The possessed Knight stated almost casually.  **“For example, I know all about that mark on your right arm and what it truly means for your future.”**

Almost immediately, the avatar placed a hand over his right arm with even Revolver looking spooked now. 

“Who are you?” He questioned, trying to not let his voice give away how uneased he truly was.

**“Think of three things.”**

If Ryoken’s blood hadn’t gone ice cold yet in RL, it just did.

**“Three things to live.”**

**“Three things to go home to.”**

**“Three things to defeat the enemy.”**

**“By thinking, you can still live.”**

**“And I did.”**

And as soon as those last three words were spoken from the Knight’s mouth, the mark on his arm faded away into the darkness and what followed next was a horrifying scream from the Knight’s mouth and what happened after was pure nightmare fuel. Wide eyed, Revolver watched as the Knight disintegrates right before his eyes, starting from his arm that the dark mark was on, melting it away. After that, his body just gives out as it turns into tar right before the leader of the Knights of Hanoi’s soulless eyes.

Not long after, after everything he just heard and saw, Revolver logs out.

***

Ryoken was never one to believe in stories about the supernatural. He grew up in a family filled with scientists after all. He was raised to believe there was always a rational explanation to these kinds of things, no matter how unbelievable it got. 

After what just happened to him, he wasn’t so sure about that anymore.

He said those words before just like that and only to one person. All those years ago to a single boy who was one of the six victims of the Hanoi Project. He told him that by thinking of three things, he could survive. 

But he lied...and the poor boy perished along with his hope of living to see the sun again.

And now, Ryoken was convinced he just meet that boy’s ghost.

After logging out, Ryoken wasted no time at all at heading back to the cemetery with one question in his mind.

_ Is this my punishment? _

Just like in Link Vrains, Ryoken places his left hand over his right arm as he makes his way up the hill to where the memorial was. However, when he gets to the top, he is met with another figure standing over the grave.

Only this was one that Ryoken recognized. He could never mistake that blue and pink hair for anyone else. The Den City High School uniform only sealed the deal.

The figure turned around at hearing footsteps and blue eyes met green in the fading sunlight.

“I was beginning to wonder if you were ever going to show up, Ryoken.” Fujiki Yusaku greeted with a soft smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And the plot thickens...
> 
> And I just like to say that after writing this, Ryoken can you please return to the show already? I want some more Datastormshipping content and you are not providing your end of the bargain, mister!


	3. Reaper

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The calm before the storm which includes the introduction to a few more characters, hints to a bigger picture, and me continuing to be bad at describing things. Every writers has that one thing they can't do, mine is that I can't describe things to save my life -_-

Being captured by Yusaku has single handedly become the most stressful thing ever for Ai. If he was human, no doubt in his mind that he would have had non-stop heart attacks since meeting him. After that near death experience, and out right watching a man get murdered right before his eyes, Playmaker had vanished off to somewhere, as he always did from what Ai had come to learn about his human, and when he finally returned, Ai didn’t even have time to question him as he logged out, tossed his duel disk onto his bed in his apartment, and left in quite a hurry, leaving the Ignis alone once again with his thoughts as his only company.

Well that wasn’t entirely true. Yusaku had this blue miniature cleaning AI maid that was currently vacuuming the rundown apartment that he called “home”. Still compared to his far more intelligent programing, he was basically alone. So he did what he always did when he was alone: try and break out of Yusaku’s duel disk. However, just like in Link Vrains, that proved to be ineffective, even more so now since the duel disk wasn’t made up of data anymore.

Ai let out a long sigh in annoyance. This wasn’t working, he realized. Yusaku made the program that kept him trapped inside the duel disk full proof. There was no way he was going to get free from the inside. However, Ai glanced over at the cleaning robot, maybe some outside interference might just do the trick.

“Hey!” He yelled over the loud noise of the machine.

The maid turned off the vacuum and looked up at the Ignis. “Yes?”

“Help me out of here, will ya?” Ai moved around in the duel disk, causing it to shake.

“Roboppy isn’t programmed to perform such a function.” She stated.

_ That figures.  _ Ai narrowed his eye in irritation. “Why are all the human AIs so stupid?”

“Stupid is a forbidden word.” Roboppy stated automatically.

“My point exactly.” Ai mused rolling his eye. Still, regardless of the fact that Roboppy was “stupid”, the Ignis could work with this. It might just take longer then he would like to get free from his prison but it was going to happen. “Hey stupid, do you want to become smarter? I can rewrite your program so you can do so much more than just cleaning this place for the rest of your simple life. Sure you will not even come close to my all superior intelligence but by becoming my minion, it will be a step in the right direction! So what do you say?”

“Stupid is a forbidden word.”

“I’ll take that as a yes!”

***

A young man entered a room that was completely empty. All that was in the facility was a single walkway that cut off half way as the room kept on going. He walked to the very edge of it and stood there at attention. Immediately, three holograms appeared before him as the room around him turned into that of a chess board, each in the form of a different white chess piece, them being the Knight, Rook, and Bishop. King, Queen, and Pawn were nowhere to be seen.

“Zaizen, we received word that Link Vrains was under siege.” Bishop spoke first.

“Have the Knights of Hanoi attacked again?” Knight questioned.

“No, they have been quiet for some time now.” Zaizen Akira, the Security Manager of SOL Technologies, answered. “However, in actuality, a Knight of Hanoi seemed to have been the victim of the attack.” He pushed a button on a virtual screen, pulling up the security footage of what happened. The three executives of SOL Tech watched as someone lead a Knight of Hanoi right into a trap and the means on just how he did it too.

“The Dark Ignis.” Rook noticed first, mentally pausing and zooming in on the shoot of the duel disk that was the focus of the former Knight’s attention.

“How can this be? We spent years trying to capture that Ignis. How did this individual accomplish this task so easily?” Knight asked the others.

“They must have something the Ignis wants. It could be a trade off or an alliance since the Knights of Hanoi seemed to be both of their enemies.” Bishop suggested. “Those have to be the only explanations. The Ignis is too smart to allow itself to be lead into a trap.”

“If I may, sirs.” Akira spoke up once more. “There was something else I wanted to bring to your attentions.” Akira zoomed out of the footage to the area around where the attack happen to reveal that it was complete scorched. Zooming out even further revealed that the scorched area wasn’t completely random, instead it looked like crop circles. However, instead of circles, they instead were triangles connected together by a single point, marking it look like a claw.

“It’s a mark.” Knight realized.

“One I never seen before.” Bishop added in.

“It seems familiar.” Rook mused. “Not the mark itself but the style of it. Like I’ve seen a geoglyph similar to it before but I can’t put my finger on it.”

“It appeared around the same time the Knight was attacked.” Akira stated, pushing a button to pull up what appeared to be a stat chart. “And when it did…”

Akira explained to them what happened in full detail to his bosses, causing the room to go silent for a good moment when he finished until...

“What?!” Knight exclaimed in outrage.

“How are we just hearing about this now?” Rook asked with what sounded like a snarl in annoyance. “King isn’t going to be to happy about this when he finds out…”

“Zaizen, we’re putting you in charge of finding out who this individual is and just what their intentions are.” Bishop ordered immediately. “We can’t allow something like this to happen again in Link Vrains. We could end up getting shut down or worse if this gets out into the media. Stop this person and bring the Dark Ignis back to us at once.” 

“Understood.” Akira bowed as the three holograms disappeared.

***

A traffic light on an intersection just turned red, causing a black and red motorcycle to slow down to a stop next to a black limousine. The passenger in the limousine, Akira, lowered down his window as the person on the motorcycle started speaking.

“You could’ve contacted me through the network, you know. There was no need for us to meet up like this, especially in a place like this.”

“You know very well that we meet in person when it comes to important jobs, Emma.”

“Yeah yeah. I know.” The person, Emma, took off her helmet, flipping back her hair as she smiled brightly at one of her best clients. “So what’s the job this time?”

“I need you to investigate someone for me.”

“The Knights of Hanoi I take it?” Emma inquired. It wouldn’t be the first time she was hired to investigate the world famous cyber terrorist group. 

Akira shook his head. “No, not them specific anyway. My security team caught footage of someone attacking a Knight of Hanoi.”

“So? What’s so special about that?” Emma questioned. “This isn’t the first time some fool has tried to fight back against the Knights of Hanoi.”

“What’s so  _ special  _ about this person is that they lead this Knight of Hanoi right into a trap using an  _ Ignis _ as bait.” Akira explained.

“The very same Ignis that SOL Technologies has been searching for all this time?” Emma looked amused at that. “And right underneath your noses huh? That’s gotta sting a bit, knowing that this person was able to capture the Ignis so easily when SOL Tech hasn’t even been able to get close to it in over five years.” Emma covered her mouth with the back of her hand as she let out an amused laugh. Akira didn’t look as amused as Emma got back to the topic at hand. “So you want me to investigate how this person was able to acquire this AI before taking it back from them to give to you to give to your bosses at SOL Technologies?”

“No, I have already scheduled for someone else to capture the Ignis. I just need you to figure out who this person is along with something else.”

“And what would that be?”

“I have already sent you the security footage of the attack and the initial area that was affected by it. I want you to found out what that mark is on the Reaper’s arm along with the suppose geoglyph he created based around it.”

Emma raised an eyebrow at that. “The Reaper?”

“I had my team pull up the account name and details of the person in the footage, trying to get some kind of lead into who this person was and what their intentions are, but nothing showed up. Their account history, even their own username, was completely blank. Until we can find out who this person is, I’ve decided to codename them as the Reaper.” Akira explained.

“Like a Grim Reaper? Interesting choice of a name, Akira.” Emma mused as she put her helmet back on. “Well I must admit, you have got my curiosity peaking. Fine, I’ll take the job. Same starting price as always and I’ll contact you if I learn anything about this  _ Reaper.” _

The light turned green at that moment with both vehicles parting ways.

***

“Hey everybody!”

The sound of footsteps along with the giant stack of presents that were peeking over the fence of the orphanage were enough to draw in the children’s attention but the all to familiar voice was what caused all the orphans to stop whatever they were doing outside to rush over to the front gate.

“It’s Go!”

“Everyone! Nii-san is back!”

Onizuka Go let out a big smile at the children. “There’s my favorite super fans!” He greeted. “Have you all been behaving your selves since I’ve be gone?”

“Yeah!” All the children cheered.

“Well that’s great to hear because I’ve bought something special for all of you!”

Go lowered the stack to the ground, taking the top present and holding it out. “Now no pushing or shoving! I’ll made sure that everyone is going to get one! And no opening your gifts until everyone has gotten one! You all got that?”

“Yeah!”

The young woman who ran the orphanage came out of the building at that moment to see Go give the last child their gift before he gave them the all go to tear into the wrapping paper.

“Wow! The new SOL Technologies’s duel disk!”

“And a starter deck!”

“Guys look!” One of the orphans exclaimed, already ripping open their starter deck. “My comes with Cyber Dragon!”

“I’ve got Dark Hole in mine!”

“These are so cool!”

“Nii-chan, can you duel me?”

“No I want to duel Nii-san first!”

“No me!”

“Settle down everyone.” The orphanage owner said, walking over to the sight of the children all surrounding the famous Charisma Duelist. “I’m sure Go-san will be willing to duel all of you. But first, what do you all have to say first to Go-san for getting you these amazing gifts?”

“Thank you!”

“Very good. Now you all run back inside and get your decks ready. Go-san and I will be in just a second to get your duel disks set up.”

All the children did just that with the owner and Go both watching them as all the orphans talk amongst themselves about their new duel disks, their decks, and which one of them was going to end up beating the #1 Charisma Duelist in the world and take his title.

“You didn’t have to go out of your way to do this.” The owner spoke, glancing over at Go. “You done enough for us already, Go-san, you didn’t have to spend your hard earned money on getting the children brand new duel disks. Just one of those must have cost you a fortune. I can’t imagine how much you must have spent on all of those, plus the starter decks.”

“Dueling is what got me out of here.” Go stated, gesturing to his own duel disk around his wrist. “If it can also help these kids look forward to a bright future during a dark time like this, I’ll gladly spent all the money I have to make sure of it.”

The owner smiled. “You’re so sweet, Go-san, and thank…”

Her voice trailed off when Go and her heard and then saw a limousine stopping right in front of the orphanage. 

“Were you expecting anyone else?” Go questioned.

The orphanage owner shook her head. “Especially not in a limousine.” She added.

“You go inside. I’ll take care of this.”

She looked skeptical at first but at last she nodded and headed back inside the building just as Akira got out of his car.

“Mr. Onizuka I presume?”

Go narrowed his eyes. “That would be me. Who are you?”

“Forgive me for interrupting your visit. I went by your house to talk to you but your manager said you were here instead.”

“And this couldn’t wait until I got back?”

“I’m afraid not. I’m SOL Technologies Security Manager, Zaizen Akira.” He took out a business card and handed it to him. When Go didn’t take it, instead stared at it like it was poison, Akira simply put it back in his pocket. 

“SOL Technologies huh? What do they want with me?”

“I’m here to request your skills as a duelist to take down a vigilante we at SOL Tech have dubbed as the Reaper.”

“The Reaper?”

“He has taken full measures to hide who he is in the real world and even his own account name. However, what we do know is that this vigilante is dangerous and has even proven their might by taking out a Knight of Hanoi by using an AI program as bait. I request that you defeat this person and retrieve the AI program that he used to do such a task. In return,” Akira gestured to the building behind Go, “my company is willing to repay your services by donating a generous amount to your orphanage here.”

Go raised an eyebrow at that last part. Now that sounded too good to be true. He has done sponsorships with SOl Technologies in the past. He knew for a fact that they didn’t like to hand out money when they really didn’t need to, especially for a job that sounded like they could make one of their own do it. There was also another big detail that Go didn’t understand. 

“You said that this vigilant defeated a Knight of Hanoi correct? Why are you hunting him down when it seems to me that he did something good? Shouldn’t you all be deeming him as a hero?” He questioned.

“I understand your confusion and the answer is quite simple. The Reaper’s AI Program he used to trap the Knight of Hanoi originally belonged to SOL Technologies. Due to some unknown events, it somehow ended up in his hands. The AI program, dubbed an Ignis, is a AI that in the wrong hands can lead to disaster. We at SOL Technologies still don’t know what the Reaper is planning on doing with it but from what we have come to observe, it doesn’t seem to be anything good.”

“What do you mean?”

“During the same time when the Knight was attacked, approximately 20% of Link Vrains’ accounts who were logged in at the time were deleted, causing their users to go comatosed.”

Go’s eyes widen at that. “What?”

“We don’t know the exact cause of it but it can’t be just a coincidence. That’s why we want you, the top duelist of Link Vrains, to protect it before something like this can happen again. With all that in mind, do you accept my proposition?” Akira reached out his hand.

“No.”

Akira lowered his hand to his side once more. “Excuse me?”

“My answer is no. You deal a hard bargain, Zaizen, but I’m not going to risk my status as the #1 Charisma Duelist to be used as your hunting dog. Now I request for you to leave this facility at once if that’s all you came here for was to talk to me about SOL Technologies problems. I don’t have anymore time to waste on you.”

“I see. Very well then. If you change your mind, fill free to contact me anytime.” Akira turned around, about to step back into his vehicle but paused to look at the orphanage. “Link Vrains is primary catered to the younger generation. Approximately half of those accounts that were terminated must have been children.”

Go, who was about to enter the building, stopped at that and glared over his shoulder. “What are you going on about now?”

“As someone who just spent a grand on SOL Technologies newest duel disk model, I felt that it was right to thank you for your purchase by giving you that information. I would hate for something to happen to those children that you have been so fondly looking after all this time because someone didn’t stop this person.”

Go turned around so quickly at that remark. “Are you threatening me?”

“I’m just giving you the facts, Mr. Onizuka.” Akira started as he entered his vehicle, finishing the conversation through the open window. “I have a little sister, Mr. Onizuka. A few years younger than yourself.  She’s my whole world and I would do anything to protect her. If I was in your position, I wouldn’t hesitate to stop this vigilante if it means my sister would be safe to continue to have fun in Link Vrains. However I respect your decision and I just hope that me telling you all of this doesn’t scare you away from bringing your children into this world that we at Sol Technologies have created.” Akira bowed his head to the other gentleman. “With all that said, I wish you a good day, Mr. Onizuka.” Akira rolled up his window, signaling for his driver to go as Go watched the vehicle pull away with a scowl.

***

“Ooooh! A little more to the right! Yes! Right there! Don’t stop! Don’t-!”

“Master, please stop shaking so much or my hands will slip.”

Ai narrowed his eye at his robot companion. “Did I say you could stop, stupid?”

“Stupid is a forbidden word!”

“Whatever, just hurry up and get me out of here before Yusaku-!”

“Before I what?”

Ai’s eye widen in horror as he glanced up to see the devil himself standing over him, looking down at him with his hellish green eyes.

“Welcome back, Yusaku-sama.” Roboppy greeted automatically while Ai had a completely different response.

“Ever heard of knocking?!” The Ignis questioned.

“Last I checked, this was my house.” Yusaku stated, looking between the two artificial intelligence before letting out a sigh. “Do I even want to know what I was hearing?”

“I...uh...we were...uh your servant here was just...uh...giving me a massage!”

“A massage?”

“Yeah! Being locked inside of a duel disk twenty-four seven really gets you all cramped up! I wouldn’t have needed one if you would just let me out of here for a few seconds.” Yusaku didn’t look very amuse by that. “Maybe you should try getting one, Yusaku-chan! It might help you to relax and maybe then you wouldn’t always have a scowl on your face!” Yusaku especially didn’t look amuse by that, causing Ai to sweatdrop nervously. “A-Anyway, are you for once going to tell me where you disappeared off to this time?”

“No, and even if I was going to, I don’t have time to tell you. We’re heading into Link Vrains.” He stated, picking up his duel disk, strapping it on.

“What? Why?”

“The Knights of Hanoi have resurfaced again.”

***

Everyone has a special skill in Link Vrains, unique to their own avatar. Since Go didn’t use one, relying on his own physical image even in the virtual world, his skill of choice was the ability to copy the appearance of different avatars seen in Link Vrains. With the assistance of SOL Tech, gaining the appearance of a Knight of Hanoi was child’s play.

_ “The Reaper seems to only be interested in the Knights of Hanoi. Taking the form of one might be your best chance of drawing him out of hiding.”  _ His benefactor told him before he logged into the Vrains.

And indeed that seemed to be the case. Go, in the form of a Knight of Hanoi, stood on top of the very same skyscraper where the first Knight was attacked, just waiting for the perp to return to the scene of the crime, and almost instantly, he did. Go watched as a hooded figure in a purple bathrobe logged into the Vrains, landing right in front of the famous duelist in disguise.

“Huh, I was starting to think you weren’t going to show up, Reaper.”

“Reaper?” Go glanced at the other’s duel disk where he heard something speak from it. It must be the AI program that Zaizen told him about. The one he was hired to take back from the Reaper. “Is that what they are choosing to call you, Playmaker-sama? How unimaginative...”

_ Playmaker? _

The Reaper, Playmaker, made no comment to that. He didn’t say anything actually. He only seemed to stare at Go, from what he could tell, behind the shadows of his hood until finally he just turned around and started to walk off.

“Hey!” Go exclaimed, surprised at the action. “Where do you think you’re going?”

“You’re no Knight of Hanoi.” Playmaker stated over his shoulder, never pausing to stop. “This has been a waste of time.”

Right as he said that and was about to log out, coming down around the whole area was a giant cage, entrapping both of them within.

“You aren’t going anywhere, Playmaker.” Go stated, unveiling his disguise in the process. “As long as you are trapped here, this program prevents you from logging out of Link Vrains. The only way you are getting out of here is if you defeat me, Onizuka Go, in a duel!”

“What a nuisance.” Playmaker mused under his breath, lowering his hood as he turned around. The appearance of his avatar was nothing out of the ordinary for Link Vrains. His hair was three-toned with it being red, yellow, and pink but the thing that took Go by surprise was his eyes. Humanoid avatars usually kept a similar appearance to their real life counterparts in facial structure but he never seen anyone customize their avatar to have black sclera, giving his green eyes a demonic look. He also had three red line markings running straight down to his chin on the right side of his face. “To think I took time away from  _ him  _ to deal with a  _ child.”  _

“Who are you calling a-” Go braced himself as suddenly a large gust of wind appeared out of nowhere, so much so that he felt himself get pushed back because of it. He found himself closing his eyes in the process out of habit when it came to these kinds of storms.

“But since you went to such lengths to drag me out here, I’ll use you as a demonstration of my power to let  _ him  _ know who he is truly facing.”

Go opened his eyes and was shocked to see what appeared to be a trail of data in the middle of the sky, with Playmaker riding on top of it on a hoverboard of some kind.

“This is  _ our  _ field of battle, Onizuka Go. Are you willing to risk your life in a Speed Duel?”

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Speed Duels are going to be a bit different in this AU. Unless I decide to change it going forward, think of them as our new Shadow Duels...on hovorboards. Considering how well Playmaker and Revolver second Speed Duel turned out, with both of them losing an arm at one point, I think this change is going to be fitting for the Dark Signers.


	4. Nature

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey look an update! 18,294 words later and boom! Playmaker vs Go is live! I will say this though. I'm not completely happy with the ending of this duel. It feels kinda rushed but for the life of me I couldn't figure out how to make a solid conclusion for this. I'm making Go completely different from the anime in this by exploring his relationship with the children from his orphanage and by doing so, I couldn't figure out how to write him through most of this. I'm going to have to go back through this anyway once Windy's kid is finally revealed and hopefully by then I will have an idea of how I'm going to write Go in this so I can go back and make this more conclusive. Until then, we have this.
> 
> Uh what else? Oh yeah. A lot of repetition was used in this chapter to give more meaning to some of the words. Pretty proud of myself for how I did that at least. Oh and the irony. Got to love the irony.
> 
> And one last thing because I have to add this here. A while back, my pal, breakdawn-avenue, over on Tumblr made this awesome fanart of Dark Signer!Yusaku and since it took me freaking forever to update this stupid thing, I never got a chance to tell you guys about it. Still in awe about it because damn boy. Making you a Dark Signer really was the best idea ever. I believe Dark Signer!Soulburner and Dark Signer!Spectre are in the works at the current moment and when they are finished, I'll be sure to inform you guys!  
> http://breakdawn-avenue.tumblr.com/post/175928315586/vrainsweek-day-2
> 
> But yeah, without further ado, onto the carnage!

“You look like a ghost, Ryoken.”

Ryoken glanced over at Yusaku. He was one to talk, Ryoken thought to himself. If Yusaku could be anymore pale, Ryoken would have mistaken him as a ghost himself. Time and time again, Ryoken asked him if he was taking care of himself when he wasn’t around to look after him but just like in this situation he found himself in, Yusaku would point out that the pot was calling the kettle black. It happened more often than Ryoken would like to admit.

“At the very least, you look like you’ve seen one.” Yusaku corrected himself.

Ryoken let out a dry chuckle, looking back down at his hands that were slightly trembling. “We are in a graveyard, Yusaku. I would be more surprised if we didn’t see a ghost wondering around. Who knows, you might be speaking to a ghost right now that has possessed my body and you wouldn’t even know it.”

Yusaku didn’t seem to find any amusement in that. He didn’t find amusement in most things he instead found to be trivial so that wasn’t saying much for this situation. “You’re not one to make jokes, not in a place like this and  _ not on this day _ . You were also late and you’re never late when we schedule a meeting together. Finally, you can’t fake an expression like the one on your face currently, Ryoken, or your body’s natural response to the stimuli.” He gestured to his shaken form. “It just isn’t in your nature to be afraid of something as absurd as ghosts, especially after all these years. You might be able to fool everyone else around you, but you can  _ never _ fool me. So be honest with me and tell me what’s got you so spooked?”

At times like these, when Yusaku calls him out like this, Ryoken didn’t know whether to be grateful to the universe or hate it even more than he already did that he ended up meeting him when he did. He knew that Yusaku wasn’t going to drop this until he gave him an acceptable answer so he did what he always did when put in a situation like this, he’ll lie with some truth to it. The best lies always did have some truth to them, making them all the more believable.

“I...I met someone today. Someone I thought had moved away from here. Someone I thought I would never see again. They said something to me, something that I told them and only them from my childhood and I guess it just shook me is all. The fact that they remembered the words I said and just me in general for all this time.”

“You must have left quite an impression.” Yusaku stated, the soft smile he only showed around  _ him _ returning to his face.

Ryoken let out another humorless chuckle. “Not a very good one though.”

“I wouldn’t say that.” Yusaku disagreed, and before Ryoken could ask him what he meant by that, he was interrupted by the sound of his phone going off.

Ryoken let out a silent curse at the ring tone and even Yusaku looked rather irritated at the sound of the communication device. Ryoken didn’t blame him. The one time of the year he just wanted to be left alone with his thoughts, and Yusaku, and he couldn’t even get that. He was going to turn his phone off for the rest of the day after the first call but after that whole situation with the possessed Knight, that was obviously the farthest thing from his mind. Now taking out his phone from his pocket, he was quite ready to verbally murder whoever was on the other end of the line until he saw the caller ID.

“I’m sorry, Yusaku, but I have to take this.” Ryoken apologized to the other.

“I understand.” Yusaku replied, watching Ryoken get up from the bench they were sitting on together and left to talk in private. A look of pure annoyance formed across his face as Ryoken moved further and further away from him to make sure he wouldn’t hear anything of the conversation.

Once he made sure that no one else was around to eavesdrop, Ryoken answered the call. “What is it, Spectre?”

“I’m sorry to disturb you when you requested to be left alone for the day, Ryoken-sama, but we have a problem here at headquarters.” The person on the other end of the line spoke.

Normally if there was a problem at HQ, Ryoken would have told him to have one of his lieutenants resolve the issue but after what he just witnessed with one of his Knights, well former Knights he should say, that wasn’t the case with this situation. “What kind of problem?” He questioned instead.

“One of the basic level Knights is acting out, causing quite a commotion in Link Vrains, screaming something about a reaper of sorts?”

“What? What do you mean by a reaper?”

“I don’t know, sir. I was hoping you would know, Ryoken-sama. They are just yelling at them to come out of hiding and to duel him.”

No, Ryoken never heard of a reaper before, at least one in this kind of sense. From the way Spectre was describing it, it sounded like an avatar, a user under the account name of Reaper. As for why one of his Knights wanted to duel them, unless they were another Cyberse user, which on its own didn’t make much sense since Ryoken was for sure they had wiped all of them off the face of Link Vrains and beyond into the other servers; unless they were trying to play hero like many have tried in the past against his organization, his Knights had no reason to duel them, let alone actively soughting them out by name. Something wasn’t right here.

“I’ll be there shortly.” Ryoken simply stated, hanging up the call before Spectre could say anything else. Placing the phone back into his pocket with a long annoyed sigh, he turned around to give Yusaku the bad news only to find him standing just a few feet away from him. His expression was blank but there was a look of sadness being reflected in his green eyes.

“You’re leaving?” He questioned and Ryoken wondered just how long he’s been standing there for, how much he heard of his conversation with Spectre, and just how in the world was he not able to hear him approaching in the first place.

“I’m sorry, Yusaku, but I have some important business to take care of that needs my full attention. I’ll reschedule a follow up later in the afternoon. I hope you understand.”

“...of course. Why wouldn’t I?” Yusaku asked but as Ryoken turned to leave the cemetery, he missed the way Yusaku’s eyes narrowed in outrage, his sclera fading to black.

***

Two Duel Monsters stood in the center of the Den City’s orphanage’s front yard. One of them was Cyber Dragon, a pure white cybernetic serpent dragon Effect Monster with 2100 Attack Points, controlled by Hiroyuki, a young orphan with brown hair and yellow brown eyes. His opponent was none other than the #1 Charisma Duelist in Link Vrains, Onizuka Go, who had his ace monster on the field, Gouki The Great Ogre, a behemoth orge Link Monster who wielded an axe as its weapon of choice, sporting 2600 ATK.

“Gouki The Great Orge’s effect automatically activates when it hits the field!” Go said, gesturing to his great beast which he just Link Summoned out. “All monsters on the field lose ATK Points equal to their original DEF Points! Orge Pressure!”

The Great Orge let out a mighty battle cry, causing Cyber Dragon’s head to hit the ground as gravity seemed to increase for the machine dragon, dropping its 2100 ATK Points down to 500.

“Cyber Dragon!” Hiroyuki cried for his weaken mechanical dragon. With no other cards on his field, and only 1900 Life Points left to his name, he was effectively a sitting duck for Go’s behemoth to take him out with a single attack.

“Battle! Gouki The Great Ogre attacks your Cyber Dragon! Ogre Axe!” Go declared the finishing blow against the child.

The Great Orge took its axe and charged at Cyber Dragon. Once it got close enough, it slashed the dragon in half, destroying it and taking out the rest of Hiroyuki’s Life Points in the process by dealing 2100 points of damage to the boy. Thankful, since they were dueling in the real world instead of Link Vrains, and Go made sure to put the damage settings on their lowest for the children when he bought their duel disks, Hiroyuki wasn’t affected by the destruction of his monster when he took the damage from the attack. 

“That’s so not fair!” Hiroyuki complained as the hologram of Gouki The Great Orge faded away since the duel reached a conclusion. “I should have won that!”

“I told you you weren’t going to beat Nii-san!” Another orphan called from the sidelines from where he was watching the duel on the steps of the entrance to the building. His name was Itsuki, a youngster with brown hair and eyes.

“Nii-chan, duel me next!” Another child exclaimed, standing up enthusiastically from her spot on the steps with stars in her eyes. This one was Mimi, a girl with long black hair pulled back into a ponytail with dark brown eyes. 

“No! I want to duel Nii-san next!” Itsuki stated, already getting his new duel disk ready. 

“No! I want a rematch! Please Go-nii-san!” Hiroyuki added in to the standoff.

“That’s enough you three.” Go spoke in the middle of stuffing his deck. These three. As soon as he and the orphanage owner got everyone’s duel disks set up and ready to go, all the orphans wanted a shot at dueling against the top duelist of Link Vrains. The only reason why Go didn’t have a whole line in front of him at this very second was because it was lunch time at the orphanage and for most of the children here, that was more important then taking on the champion at that very second. Not for these three however who each gladly skipped their lunch for the day if it meant they could be able to have a chance at beating Onizuka Go sooner and gain his title. Even though Go and the orphanage owner tried to convince them that they really should eat, none of them would take no for an answer and Go, as a seasoned duelist, respected their determination to face off against him too much to say no to them anymore and eventually caved into their demands. That’s how he found himself in this situation to begin with. “I promised all three of you that you would each get a turn. Hiroyuki, you can have your rematch after Mimi and Itsuki get their turn and that’s only if you two,” he looked down at the other two children who looked ready to fight tooth and nail to be the next one to duel him, “can decide in a  _ peaceful _ matter on who I get to duel next.”

“So unfair.” Hiroyuki grumbled with his arms crossed while Itsuki and Mimi both stuck their tongues out at him. Go only chuckled softly at watching the three. They reminded him so much of his childhood. After all the running, stealing food just to survive another day in the cold streets of Den City, he finally found peace in this here orphanage with children just like them that showed him the card game that made his life into what it is now. If Duel Monsters could make his life as perfect as it was now for him, why couldn’t the same be said for these kids? Just the fact alone that they were so enthusiastic about it was what truly made Go happy. 

“Nii-chan, when can we go into Link Vrains?” Mimi suddenly asked.

“Huh?” Go, who got lost taking a trip down memory lane, snapped out of it to look down at her.

“Yeah! I want to go into Link Vrains to duel you, Nii-san!” Itsuki exclaimed.

“Me too! I want to go too!” Hiroyuki agreed.

“Now hold on for just a second.” Go suddenly was reminded about what Zaizen Akira told him just a few hours ago, about how this  _ Reaper  _ of sorts had deleted a good amount of accounts in Link Vrains. Go didn’t put much thought into it at the time, since he just wanted Zaizen to leave so he could get back to the children, but really thinking about it now in that moment, would it really be a safe place to bring the kids into now? Go had pride in his skills, he was the #1 Charisma Duelist in the world after all, but if he was to be truly honest with himself, even he didn’t think he could duel this person and protect the children at the same time if it came down to that. He would either be to focused on defeating his opponent to protect the children or be to focused on protecting the kids that he wouldn’t be paying attention to the duel and lose because of that. Neither was a situation Go wanted to be in so in that moment, he came to a quick decision. 

“I just remembered, everyone, I have a scheduled appointment I need to attend.” Go told the children, much to their instant disappointment in their eyes.

“But what about our duels?” Mimi questioned.

“We will have them another time, Mimi.” Go told her with a smile, kneeling down to pat her on the shoulder. “And when we do, I promise you all that we will have them in Link Vrains.”

***

Akira sat in his office at SOL Technologies, going through a list of duelists who he could potentially hire to go and hunt down the Reaper. Since Onizuka Go rejected his offer, which threw a major wrench into Akira’s plans, he had to widen his search. One of his employees suggested to see if they could offer the job to Blue Angel, another top Charisma Duelist in Link Vrains, who also happened to be the account name of Akira’s younger step-sister, Zaizen Aoi, but that was immediately rejected by Akira. After the analysis he found from just a simple attack on a single Knight of Hanoi, there was no way in hell that Akira was going to allow his younger sister anywhere near Link Vrains until the situation has been taken care of. With Emma already in Link Vrains doing research to find the identity of the Reaper, Akira couldn’t send her, meaning he would have to rely on someone else. He could try and contact  _ him  _ to hunt down the Reaper and Akira might have done just that, even though he really didn’t like the guy personally, when he ended up getting a call from the front desk of the building from his secretary.

“Zaizen sir, a Mr. Onizuka has requested your attention. He says that you are expecting him. Should I send him up to meet you?”

No, Akira wasn’t expecting him, not after he turned down his offer like that, but it appears that Onizuka Go has changed his mind after some consideration. “Send him right in.” He spoke.

A moment later, the world famous duelist was in his office, geared up in his champion uniform and ready to go from the looks of him. Akira stood up from his desk to greet him with a respectful bow. “Mr. Onizuka. I’m surprised to see you again so soon. Have you changed your mind about my request?”

“Only if you are able to provide me with what I need to take down this Reaper of yours.”

Akira simply nodded in understanding. “Of course. Though I have to ask, what made you change your mind?”

“I have my reasons.” Was Go’s only answer and Akira had a hunch on what those reasons were but he didn’t say anymore to that.

***

To say that one of his Knights was causing a commotion was a bit of an understatement. When Ryoken logged into Link Vrains as Revolver, he was greeted by the sight of the rogue Knight of Hanoi on the big screen of his hideout, jumping from rooftop to rooftop, screaming things like “Show your face, Reaper!” and “I’m a Knight of Hanoi! Face me!” before he stopped to wait things out on one of the taller skyscrapers. His underlings weren’t the greatest at giving the Knights of Hanoi a fearful reputation at the best of times but even this was a bit much.

“It isn’t one of our Knights, Revolver-sama.” 

Revolver glanced over his shoulder briefly when Spectre, his second-in-command, materialized behind him with a bow of respect to his leader. “I figured as much.” Revolver simply stated, turning his attention back to the screen. None of his Knights were this stupid after all and if they were...well they definitely didn’t last long in that case. “SOL Technologies?”

“They would be the only ones to have the technology to get a copy of our avatar.” Spectre said before smirking, waving a hand dismissively. “Or simply a talented fool who knows their way around a few keys is using our avatar to draw out their enemy.”

“It seems that they succeeded.” Revolver mused as the person in questioned appeared in front of the fake Knight of Hanoi.

_ “Huh, I was starting to think you weren’t going to show up, Reaper.” _

_ “Reaper? Is that what they are choosing to call you, Playmaker-sama? How unimaginative…” _

“Well, well, well, this is an interesting turn of events.” Spectre spoke, zooming in on the being that just spoke. The Dark Ignis, currently in possession of this Reaper or Playmaker as the artificial intelligence just named him. Revolver might have been just as amused in any other situation, because like Spectre said this was indeed a fascinating turn of events, but not today. 

_ “You’re no Knight of Hanoi.” _

**_“Think of three things.”_ **

**_“Three things to live.”_ **

**_“Three things to go home to.”_ **

**_“Three things to defeat the enemy.”_ **

**_“By thinking, you can still live.”_ **

**_“And I did.”_ **

Playmaker’s voice. It wasn’t an exact match, after all he was speaking through his former Knight at the time to taunt him, but there was no way Revolver could forget that echo, that chill that ran down his spine when that person used his own words against him, and the sight of the Knight melting away into nothingness once he was finished with him.

**“I’m someone who knows a lot of things, Revolver. I believe I know more about you then you know about yourself. For example, I know all about that mark on your right arm and what it truly means for your future.”**

Revolver gritted his teeth together as he subconsciously gripped his right arm.

The fake Knight of Hanoi revealed his identity as Onizuka Go, Link Vrains treasured duelist, who Revolver figured must have been hired by SOL Technologies to capture the Ignis on Playmaker’s wrist when he challenged Playmaker to a duel after caging him instead of Link Vrains. Soon after, Playmaker lowered his hood to reveal his appearance and only one word came to Revolver’s mind when he saw his blacken green eyes.

Demonic.

But that truly was calling the kettle black from the avatar with the soulless yellow eyes.

_ Just who are you, Playmaker? _ The leader of the Knights of Hanoi wondered to himself.  _ And what are you?  _

That’s when the unexpected truly happened. The wind, the data, they were spiraling together to create a force of nature that Revolver hasn’t seen since he first attacked the Cyberse World five years ago. The data material was creating...

“That's-” Spectre sounded just as surprised at what he was seeing being formed.

“A Data Storm.” Revolver stated narrowing his eyes at Playmaker’s final words.

_ “This is our field of battle, Onizuka Go. Are you willing to risk your life in a Speed Duel?” _

***

“A Speed Duel?” Akira mused to himself from where he now currently sat in the communication center of SOL Technologies’ main building at seeing the Data Storm that was unleashed and at what this reaper, Playmaker, just declared. He heard about the data material the Ignis created in the Cyberse World from the higher ups, how it transcended everything humanity created before it and how it took many different forms depending on the user’s wishes, when he was assigned to hunt down the Ignis but he just thought it was just a myth. Clearly, that wasn’t the case. These Speed Duels, however, were a new story altogether.

“Quickly!” He commended his stuff of employees. “Find out everything you can about these Speed Duels!”

“Yes sir!”

***

The second hoverboard appeared shortly after the first one next to Playmaker’s. Go stared at it in a mix between astonishment and confusion.

“Get on.” Playmaker simply said before his D-Board took off down the trail of data that had formed in the air, leaving Go in the dust to figure out how to actually get on the board.

Go gritted his teeth together. Just what in the world was this? He wondered before doing what Playmaker instructed. It took some trial and error but fortunately he was able to get on the board before Playmaker took off to far and somehow was able to catch up to him.

“This is a Speed Duel.” 

Go, shocked by the voice coming from his duel disk that wasn’t his dueling A.I., looked down when he recognized who was speaking to him. “Zaizen?” He questioned before narrowing his eyes. He should have guessed that SOL Technologies was also going to have a say in the matter when it came to taking down this reaper on the battlefield. Usually having a back seat driver would annoy him, which is why he didn’t usually use his dueling A.I. for duels, but this he could make an exception for. “What gives? What’s going on right now? What do you mean by a Speed Duel?”

“This is a Speed Duel.” Akira restated to the duelist. “Think of it as a faster and more dangerous way to duel. Instead of five Main Monster Zones and Spell/Trap Zones, you will only have three. You’ll start with four cards for your starting hands and there is no Main Phase 2. Finally Speed Duels have a special rule called a Skill which can only be used once per the duel and anytime during the duel depending on the conditions and if they are made.”

“Skill?” Go questioned at the strange new rule. “What’s that?”

“I’ll explain more when the time has come to play it.” Akira simply stated before cutting communication. Go gritted his teeth once more at that. So much for help from him. Go instead glanced over at Playmaker way out in front of him who had already drew his opening hand, leaving Go not much choice but to draw his.

What in the world has Zaizen gotten him into?

“Speed Duel!”

***

“This is so unfair!” Hiroyuki complained, flopping onto the grass with his arms crossed and a huff. Sitting across from him were Mimi and Itsuki who looked equally annoyed and upset. “Go-nii-san promised us he would take us into Link Vrains!”

“And he promised me and Mimi duels!” Itsuki added in with his own pout. “What was so important that he had to leave us just like that?!”

“Probably had something to do with being famous and all that.” Mimi suggested, crossing her own little arms. “He must’ve had to leave to get ready for a duel and just forgot to tell us until it is shown on television. Oh this sucks! I wish we could see it in person in Link Vrains instead of on the stupid old TV of ours after it is over.”

“Why can’t we?” Hiroyuki questioned, looking at the tiny duel disk on his arm, catching both Itsuki and Mimi’s attention at his suggestion. “We have the means to do so now and no one ever told us we couldn’t. We can be there and back and no one from the orphanage will ever have to know until after the duel!”

“Hey he’s right!” Itsuki explained, jumping to his feet. “Why don’t we just log into Link Vrains and surprise Nii-san in person?!”

“Why didn’t I think of that?” Mimi wondered to herself with a smile, jumping to her feet along with Hiroyuki. “Yeah let’s do it!”

“Into the Vrains!”

The three kids’ duel disks lit up and within seconds a sphere of blue light wrapped around each of them as they were pulled into Link Vrains. Once they were each successful logged in, Hiroyuki, Mimi, and Itsuki were surprised to find themselves no longer on the grassy floor of the outside of their orphanage but instead of top of a skyscraper that towered over all the other ones in the general area. 

“So cool!” Hiroyuki exclaimed, taking in his surroundings of the virtual world. 

“This is awesome!” Itsuki agreed, looking over his body. When Go and the orphanage owner were setting up the duel disks for the children, it was just the basic settings to get them up and running. They didn’t drive into the creative side of giving the children Link Vrains’ avatars just yet so all three of them looked completely the same to their real life counterparts. Still, it amazed Itsuki to think that even if they looked the same, these weren’t their physical bodies. Just data that gave their minds a physical form in this world.

“Look you two! I think I see Nii-chan!” Mimi called her two friends over to the balcony. 

Itzuki and Hiroyuki came racing over and all three of them were immediately starstruck by what they saw. It looked like a river of data flowing across the sky of Link Vrains and surfing across it was none other than their big brother figure, Onizuka Go, and who they assumed was his opponent of the day.

“Wow! Are you two seeing this right now?” Itsuki questioned looking from his two friends then quickly back to the duel. This looked nothing like the duel that Go had against Hiroyuki or any of his other duels in his history of being champion that Itsuki could ever remember. Was this something completely new that Go was offered to showcase? 

“Yeah.” Hiroyuki breathed in just as much amazement. He didn’t know what this was but all he knew was that it was so cool. Link Vrains was just the coolest! 

“I have to film this.” Mimi spoke, turning on the camera function on her duel disk. Even if they were going to broadcast this on TV later, Mimi wanted to record her first time seeing a duel live in Link Vrains as well as being one of the first individuals to see this new kind of dueling and brag about it later to all her other friends in the orphanage.

***

It was quick, like lightning striking the ground and gone almost instantly, but Playmaker felt it. The sudden pulse that coursed through his arm and into the rest of his body. It took him by surprise so abruptly that he stumbled on his D-Board, barely noticeable to the naked eye but Ai felt the movement, of Playmaker catching his balance once more on his board.

“What’s wrong with you? Can’t stand the high winds?” The Ignis questioned.

“I’m fine.” Playmaker merely said, glancing up briefly towards the higher buildings then back at what was in front of him so he wouldn’t end up crashing into something. “I just want to get this over with and get back to what’s important.”

“Oh? Care to enlighten the class and share what that is?”

“It’s none of your damn business, Ai.”

Ai flinched back at his sudden shift of tone. Where did that sudden spike of anger come from? Here he thought Playmaker was the calm one, a little unhinged sure, but more in that emotionless kind of sense. “Okay fine...geez touchy much?”

**Speed Duel! Playmaker vs GO!**

**Turn 1:**

**Playmaker: Life Points: 4000. Hand: 4.**

**GO: Life Points: 4000. Hand: 4.**

“I’ll go first!” Go claimed, having his digital hand appear before him. Just like Zaizen stated, instead of five cards, there were only four of them. One less card to work with but he still had his major combo pieces to begin with. Still, Go looked down at his D-Board and the stream of data it rode upon, he was dueling in unknown territory against an unknown opponent. The main reason why he wanted to go first was to put up his defenses against whatever strategy this Playmaker guy was going to throw at them and once he knew what he was dealing with, he could make his counter attack from there. With that in mind, Go selected his monster from his hand. “I summon Gouki Suprex!”

A blue humanoid tyrannosaurus-like creature in padded armor with a golden championship belt around its waist rose onto the field with a battle cry.

**Gouki Suprex: Effect Monster. Attribute: Earth. Type: Warrior. Level: 4.**

**Attack: 1800. Defense: 0.**

**Effect: When this card is Normal Summoned: You can Special Summon 1 "Gouki" monster from your hand. If this card is sent from the field to the GY: You can add 1 "Gouki" card from your Deck to your hand, except "Gouki Suprex". You can only use this effect of "Gouki Suprex" once per turn.**

“When Gouki Suprex is Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon another Gouki monster from my hand.” Go stated, selecting a second Gouki monster from his opening hand. “I Special Summon Gouki Twistcobra!”

This Gouki monster had the appearance of a green snake humanoid with stingers as bangs and two coming from its back. Just like its predecessor, Twistcobra was also dressed in wrestling attire with a cape and a golden belt.

**Gouki Twistcobra: Effect Monster. Attribute: Earth. Type: Warrior. Level: 3.**

**Attack: 1600. Defense: 0.**

**Effect: (Quick Effect): You can Tribute 1 "Gouki" monster, then target 1 "Gouki" monster you control; it gains ATK equal to the original ATK of the Tributed monster until the end of this turn. If this card is sent from the field to the GY: You can add 1 "Gouki" card from your Deck to your hand, except "Gouki Twistcobra". You can only use each effect of "Gouki Twistcobra" once per turn.**

Go looked out in front of him at where Playmaker was riding. Now it was time to see what his opponent had to offer. “I’ll end my turn with that.” He finished with his two monsters flying alongside him.

Playmaker simply acknowledged the beginning of his turn by drawing his card.

**Turn 2:**

**Playmaker: Life Points: 4000. Hand: 5.**

**GO: Life Points: 4000. Hand: 2.**

“Hmm it seems this Onizuka Go fella is the #1 Charisma Duelist in the world.” Ai mused, pulling up Go’s dueling statistics. “He plays a Gouki beatdown deck and his main strategy is to lead his opponent into a false sense of security before he, as you humans call it, pulls the rug out from underneath them for a comeback victory. It seems he plays this underdog role to entertain the crowd but since no one is here to watch him, that strategy could end up changing. His Gouki Twistcobra has an effect that allows it to tribute itself or his other Gouki monster to boast whichever one he chooses Attack Points up to 3400 during either player’s turn so you would need a monster stronger than that to get safely over it. With that analysis yours truly has so kindly given out for free, your best course of action to be able to defeat Onizuka would be-!”

“I activate the Spell Card, One for One.” Playmaker ignored the artificial intelligence completely as he began his Main Phase 1. 

**One for One.**

**Normal Spell.**

**Effect: Send 1 monster from your hand to the GY; Special Summon 1 Level 1 monster from your hand or Deck.**

“By sending a monster from my hand to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon a Level 1 monster from my hand or Deck. Come, Datacorn!”

After sending his first monster, Dotscaper, to the GY, an acorn with a pair of brown eyes, tiny arms and legs with a USB sticking out of its bottom materialized from the Deck.

**Datacorn: Effect Monster. Attribute: Dark. Type: Cyberse. Level: 1.**

**Attack: 0. Defense: 0.**

**Effect: If this card is Special Summoned: You can Special Summon 1 "Data Acorn Token" (Cyberse/DARK/Level 1/ATK 0/DEF 0). You can only use this effect of "Datacorn" once per turn.**

“That’s a Cyberse monster.” Akira mused from where he watching the duel from his office’s many digital screens.  _ How interesting.  _

“The Knights of Hanoi have spent years trying to rid the world of these abominations. To think that some of them survived the purged.” Revolver stated more to himself then to Spectre.  _ Did the Ignis give him those cards or is there more to this story than meets the eye? _

“Cyberse?!” Go looked at the monster’s states on his duel disk. First Speed Duels and now a new Type of monster Go has never heard or seen before? Just who was this guy?

Playmaker held up a finger. “When Datacorn is Special Summoned, I can Special Summon a Data Acorn Token onto my field. In addition,” he held up a second finger, “since the monster I sent to the Graveyard for One for One’s effect was Dotscaper, its effect allows me to Special Summon it from the Graveyard.”

The events of the Chain played out, first with Dotscaper, a monster made up completely of white, blue, and green data bits, rising up from the GY and onto the field.

**Dotscaper: Effect Monster. Attribute: Earth. Type: Cyberse. Level: 1.**

**Attack: 0. Defense: 2100.**

**Effect: If this card is sent to the GY: You can Special Summon this card. If this card is banished: You can Special Summon this card. You can only use 1 "Dotscaper" effect per turn, and only once that turn. You can only use each effect of "Dotscaper" once per Duel.**

After the Chain Link 2 resolved itself, the token, created by Datacorn’s effect, appeared on the field as well, an actual acorn of the original in appearance, without the appendages or eyes, just the USB, and states.

“Three monsters just from one card’s effect and he hasn’t even used his Normal Summon yet.” Go mused to himself, impressed. Playmaker might be the enemy he was hired to take down but that didn’t mean he couldn’t respect him as a duelist for using his monsters’ effects to their full potential.

“Appear! The circuit that leads to the future!”

A blue square with the different Link Arrows around it appeared in front of Playmaker.

“The summoning condition is one Normal Monster. I set the Data Acorn Token in the Link Marker!” The tiny acorn replica went into the Bottom Link Arrow. “Link Summon! Link 1! Link Spider!” Appearing from the circuit was a dark blue with light blue outlining robotic spider.

**Link Spider: Link Monster. Attribute: Earth. Type: Cyberse. Link: 1**

**Attack: 1000. Link Arrows: Bottom.**

**Material(s): 1 Normal Monster.**

**Effect: Once per turn: You can Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower Normal Monster from your hand to your zone this card points to.**

“The conditions have been made.” Playmaker stated, holding out his hand to create another circuit. “The requirements are two Effect Monsters. I set Link Spider and Dotscaper in the Link Markers!” The two monsters, at their master’s command, flew into the Top and Bottom Link Arrows. “Link Summon! Link 2! Code Talker!” Materializing from the two Cyberse Monsters was a warrior-like android. Its body had glowing white markings over it with silver armor protecting it. It wield a long, glowing clear sword as its weapon of choice. 

**Code Talker: Link Monster. Attribute: Dark. Type: Cyberse. Link: 2.**

**Attack: 1300. Link Arrows: Top and Bottom.**

**Material(s): 2 Effect Monsters.**

**Effect: Gains 500 ATK for each monster it points to. Cannot be destroyed by battle or your opponent's card effects, while it points to a monster.**

“That’s his impressive monster?” Itsuki questioned his friends. 1300 ATK Points didn’t seem like much for a Link 2, especially compared to the two monsters that Go easily was able to Normal and Special Summon onto his field that were both stronger then it.

“I’ve seen babies summon stronger monsters then that thing!” Mimi claimed, having her duel disk zoom in on Playmaker’s new Link Monster. 

“Yeah! Go-nii-san is going to have that monster for breakfast!” Hiroyuki added in.

“Code Talker’s effect activates. When it points to a monster, it gains 500 ATK for each. Currently,” Playmaker pointed to Go’s Gouki Twistcobra, “it points to one of them.”

Code Talker let out its own battle cry as its Attack Points were raised to match Suprex’s.

**Code Talker: (ATK: 1300 - 1800).**

“I now summon Code Radiator.” Playmaker stated, finally using his Normal Summon for the turn as he slapped the monster onto his duel disk.

A dark blue serpent like monster with arms and legs with armor similar to Code Talker’s but light blue in color with bright yellow eyes slithered in with a hiss.

**Code Radiator: Effect Monster. Attribute: Water. Type: Cyberse. Level: 4.**

**Attack: 1600. Defense: 800.**

**Effect: If you would use a Cyberse monster(s) you control as Link Material for the Link Summon of a “Code Talker” monster, you can use this card in your hand as a Link Material. If this card is sent from the hand or field to the GY as a Link Material for a “Code Talker” monster: You can target 1 face-up monster your opponent controls; that monster’s ATK becomes 0, also its effects are negated. If this card was sent from the field, you can target 2 face-up monsters instead. You can only use each effect of "Code Radiator" once per turn.**

“Appear, once again, my circuit!” Playmaker called, summoning up a third link portal. “The summoning conditions are two Effect Monsters. I set Code Radiator and Datacorn in the Link Markers! Link Summon! Link 2! Code Talker!” A literal second copy of Playmaker’s Link Monster that was already on the field appeared right behind the first one.

“Two of them?” Akira mumbled, folding his arms to rest his chin upon his knuckles in thought. He wondered to himself on just what Playmaker was planning for him to summon two of the same monster from his Extra Deck.

“Both of the Code Talkers’ effects activate. Power Connection!” Playmaker exclaimed as his two monsters’ Attack Points were boosted since they were now Co-Linked.

**Code Talker #1: (ATK: 1800 - 2300).**

**Code Talker #2: (ATK: 1300 - 1800).**

“Impressive, Playmaker.” Go admitted to his foe. Truly he was impressed by all of Playmaker’s skillful moves to get two Link Monsters out so quickly. However, that didn’t mean Go didn’t have his own bag of tricks ready to be unleashed. “You now have two monsters that are stronger than both of mime. But if you were hoping to beat them with just that, you must really underestimate me. But go ahead and attack me now if you so wish!” He dared.

“He’s right.” Spectre agreed like it was an obvious statement. “Attacking him now would just be pointless and would only do Playmaker more harm than good. Twistcobra’s effect still makes it and Suprex the strongest monsters on the field. If he does somehow have a way to get over that effect, the Gouki archetype have secondary effects that allow them to search out another one of their members from the user’s Deck should they leave the field by any means, leaving Onizuka with less Life Points but with more card advantage which he will use on his next turn to destroy Playmaker.” Spectre seemed to find some amusement in that.

“He won’t get a next turn, Spectre.” Revolver said, startling Spectre when he spoke, after Revolver finished reading the effects of Code Radiator on his own duel disk’s card database. “If he can’t stop what is about to happen that is.”

“Code Radiator’s effect activates from the Graveyard.” Playmaker spoke up, holding up the copy of said card to elaborate. “When it is sent from the field to the Graveyard as Material for the Link Summon of a Code Talker monster, two monsters on your side of the field have their effects negated and their Attack Points become 0 until the end of this turn.” He sent the Effect Monster back into the Graveyard for its effect to truly take place.

“What?!” Go exclaimed, watching as the ghost of Code Radiator remerge from the grave with a duplicate of itself. They wrapped their bodies around Go’s only two monsters, fading into their forms and turning them into statues, effectively making them powerless on the spot.

**Gouki Suprex: (ATK: 1800 - 0).**

**Gouki Twistcobra: (ATK: 1600 - 0).**

“That thing just turned Nii-chan’s monsters into stone!” Mimi said, horrified at the sight of Go’s former wrestlers turned into simple sculptures.  

“He can’t do that!” Hiroyuki yelled, throwing his fist up in protest. “He’s cheating!”

“Yeah! That’s not fair!” Itsuki agreed with the others, his hands shaking against the bars.

“Wow! Impressive Playmaker-sama!” Ai praised at seeing how easily he was able to power up his monsters while also being able to weaken Go’s into simple rocks. His Origin might be a first class jerk but he definitely knew how to duel. Ai was starting to understand where he got all of his talented traits from. “It is almost as impressive as what I would have done! Onizuka is completely defenseless now and with your Code Talkers together having a total of 4100 Attack Points, if both attacks are successful, you will win instantly! If it wasn’t obvious enough, you should go for the attack now and-”

“I activate the Field Spell, Cynet Universe!”

**Cynet Universe.**

**Field Spell.**

**Effect: All Link Monsters you control gain 300 ATK. Once per turn: You can target 1 monster in the GY; shuffle it into the Deck. If this card on the field is destroyed by a card effect: Send all monsters in the Extra Monster Zones to the GY.**

“As long as Cynet Universe is on the field, Link Monsters I control gain 300 ATK points.”

**Code Talker #1: (ATK: 2300 - 2600).**

**Code Talker #2: (ATK: 1800 - 2100).**

“-or you could activate a Field Spell. A Field Spell works too if you are just going for overkill at this point.” Ai mumbled, not understanding why Playmaker was continuing to power up his monsters even though he had enough Attack Points to finish Go right off if not just to be a showoff. Not that Ai was thinking that from experience or anything.

Playmaker didn’t pay any attention to Ai’s comment as he entered into his Battle Phase. “Battle! The first Code Talker attacks your Gouki Suprex!” He declared, allowing his first monster to launch its attack on Go’s monster, slicing it in half by the Cyberse monster’s sword and taking half of Go’s Life Points in the process. Go grunted as the impact of the indirect Direct Attack on his Life Points caused his D-Board to go out of control, spinning him around on the data stream and heading now straight forward into the side of one of the skyscrapers.

**GO: Life Points: 4000 - 1400**

“The second Code Talker attacks Gouki Twistcobra!” Playmaker declared his second attack with his second monster, not even giving Go time to recover from the first attack and gain control back on his board. 

“Oh no!” Mimi screamed, wondering if she should turn off the camera on her duel disk.

“Go-nii-san!” Hiroyuki and Itsuki cried as Code Talker got closer to destroying his beast.

Go braced himself as his D-board slitted across the side of the building. The majority of his body was left untouched but he got a nasty gush tore out of his shoulder by trying to protect his major arteries from the blow, even if they were digitize. Go let out a gasp from the sudden pain. Just what kind of duel was this? He wondered, biting his tongue to hold back a scream but he didn’t have time to react to the pain fully as the attack was coming closer and closer to destroying his monster and the rest of his Life Points and he had to react to that first.

“I activate the effect of Gouki Octostretch.” Go countered, revealing one of the two final cards in his hand before sending it to the graveyard for its effect to take place.

**Gouki Octostretch: Effect Monster. Attribute: Earth. Type: Warrior. Level: 1.**

**Attack: 0. Defense: 0.**

**Effect: If your opponent's monster attacks, during damage calculation (Quick Effect): You can discard this card; the damage you take from that battle is halved. When your opponent activates an effect that would inflict damage to you (even during the Damage Step) (Quick Effect): You can discard this card; the damage you take from that effect is halved. If this card is sent from the field to the GY: You can add 1 "Gouki" card from your Deck to your hand, except "Gouki Octostretch". You can only use this effect of "Gouki Octostretch" once per turn.**

“By decarding this card, the damage I take from the battle is halved!” Go explained just as his second Gouki monster was destroyed but instead of losing to 2100 points of damage, he lived just barely with him only taking 1050. The damage however was still great enough to have Go lose control of his board again, not enough to knock him into a building once more, but it did cause him to almost fall off of it this time around. Thankfully, he was able to stable himself before that happened, even with a damaged shoulder affecting his balance.

**GO: Life Points: 1400 - 350**

After Gouki Twistcobra left the field as well, the first Code Talker that was pointing to it also lost some Attack Points to match its clone’s ATK.

**Code Talker #1: (ATK: 2600 - 2100).**

“He survived by the skin of his teeth.” Spectre said, sounding almost impressed, but mostly amused, by what he just witnessed on the big screen.

“Not many people can do such a deed.” Revolver stated, watching as Go steadied himself on his D-Board. Truth be told, Revolver was surprised he hasn’t fallen off already, especially from all the damage that he took, from the attacks and from the building he flew into. “Seems there might be something to his title after all.”

Ai narrowed his eye. “How annoying.” The Ignis complained. “To do all that work and still he survives by just a hair.”

“He could have survived the attacks with even more Life Points then that.” Playmaker stated which caught Ai’s attention. 

“What do you mean?”

“If Cynet Universe wasn’t on the field, the first Code Talker would’ve only done 2300 points worth of damage from destroying Suprex and the second only 900 from Twistcobra, giving Go 800 Life Points instead of 350 and in duels like these, even just the slim variation of more Life Points then less can make all the difference.”

Ai blinked in surprise, astonishment even to what he just heard. “That’s why you played that Field Spell? You  _ knew  _ he was going to survive this battle and tried to do as much damage as you could, didn’t you?”

“I knew there was a possibility.” Playmaker corrected, glancing down at the Ignis. Ai would never get used to those demon eyes of his glaring down at him, causing him to flinch on sight. “And I played accordingly to said possibility that a  _ simple _ AI like yourself should have calculated from the start.”

Ai could feel his non-existing cheeks heat up in rage. So much for being astonished. “Well excuse me for not taking in account the one in tenth chance that his opening hand consisted of a hand trap that could have saved him from your attack at the last second, Playmaker-sama!”

_ They don’t seem to get along very well.  _ Go thought, able to hear Ai’s screams all the way from behind Playmaker, using this time to heal up his shoulder from the damage that was done to it from Playmaker’s attack. In the process, he remembered what Zaizen said about this AI program being special, about why he was being hired by SOL Technologies in the first place to hunt it down, but now he was starting to understand what he meant by it. It almost seemed alive? But how was that possible?

“If I may be of assistance.” Speaking of the devil, Go glanced down at his dual band when Akira started speaking to him through it once more. “This would be the ideal time to use your Skill.”

“My Skill?” Go asked, having already forgotten about the new ruling that was exclusive to the Speed Dueling format. 

“I told you the rules at the beginning of this duel, Mr. Onizuka. Both players get a single use of their respective Skill once the conditions have been made.” A screen popped up in front of Go, revealing said Skill. “I had my team look through your dueling history and pre-selected the best Skill for you to use that fits your style. With your monsters being destroyed and your field wide open, now is the best time to make use of it.” Akira started before ending the call.

Go read the Skill that was on the pop up and was surprised to find how good it actually was for his deck. Zaizen really did do his research, on his deck and his dueling style. Before this, Go was questioning how he was actually going to turn things around after that huge blow to his field and his Life Points. With his Gouki monsters’ effects negated, he couldn’t replace them when they left the field and unless he drew something amazing, his hand, a single card that couldn’t do anything at the current moment, was useless. Zaizen just gave him a fighting chance to turn things around and Go was going to take it in full force.

“I activate my skill, Fighting Spirit!” Go exclaimed, the yellow outlines of his uniform starting to glow in response to its activation. 

**Fighting Spirit**

**Skill**

**Effect: The user Special Summons all "Gouki" monsters that were destroyed by battle this turn.**

“This allows me to Special Summon back all the Gouki monsters that were destroyed by battle this turn. Return to the field, my monsters!” Go called and like nothing ever happened to them, Gouki Suprex and Gouki Twistcobra returned to the field in Attack Mode.

“Nii-chan’s monsters are back!” Mimi exclaimed in delight, capturing the moment on film.

“Yeah! I knew Go-nii-san could do it!” Hiroyuki said with a grin. “And you two were worried that he wouldn’t make it!”

“You were panicking too, Hiroyuki.” Itsuki pointed out but teasing aside, he truly was glad that Go was still in this and all but ready at this point to perform his world famous comeback.

“Resilient, isn’t he?” Ai mused looking from Go’s monsters then back at Playmaker. “All that damage and yet he still has his monsters which he can use to unleash all kinds of destruction onto you. What are you going to do now, Playmaker-sama?”

“There’s nothing else I can do for this turn.” Playmaker stated plainly but instead of ending his turn right there, he proceeded to slow down his board, allowing Go to catch up to him.

_ Now what is he up to?  _ Go wondered looking over at Playmaker when their boards were side by side with each on the data stream. “What do you want?” He questioned his opponent.

“You were able to heal your injuries.” Playmaker noticed.

Go glanced at his shoulder and back at him with his eyes narrowed. “So? What’s it to you? Disappointed that they are gone?”

“On the contrary, I’m more intrigued to know how you did it.” Playmaker started, looking at him like he was some kind of specimen just waiting to be tested on. “Repairing damage data isn’t an easy task to do, especially with your intelligence level.”

“Haha, he called you stupid!” Ai laughed hysterically inside the old duel disk.

“For an artificial intelligence, you really are not one to talk, Ai, especially for an Ignis.” Playmaker calmly stated to the eyeball.

“Hey, I have you know I-!”

Playmaker muted the Ignis instantly, his dark eyes fixing themselves back on Go. “I know you are working for SOL Technologies. Your fake Knight of Hanoi disguise reeked of their coding. This,” he turned his duel disk to the side to show Ai inside of it, currently crying his eye out, “is what you are after for them. Now amuse me, child, and tell me; were they also the ones to give you that healing program?”

“I’m a professional duelist, not a child.” Go told him with a scowl. Who gave Playmaker the right to call him, Onizuka Go, the top duelist in Link Vrains, a child when he, at least his avatar anyway, seemed to be younger than him in appearance. “Getting injured in extreme duels is just part of the job description. A basic regeneration program is a must have for this kind of job field, Reaper.”

“Playmaker.” He corrected him. “This  _ reaper _ nonsense is getting rather old. I’m no personification of death, simply a servant of Thanatos and nothing more. If you and the rest of your children are able to survive until the end, feel free to inform your bosses of my username.”

“Children?” Go was caught off guard with that one. “What children?”

“Am I under the wrong impression that those little kids aren’t yours?”

Playmaker gestured towards one of the higher buildings in the area and Go followed his glance up. When needed be, Link Vrains was a blessing on your five senses. Stuff your eyes wouldn’t normally be able to see far away in the real world could be zoomed in and enhanced for your viewing pleasure but in this case Go was stunned at what he saw on the top of the building.

_ Mimi! Hiroyuki! Itsuki! What are those three doing here?! _

“Well things just seem to be getting more interesting by the second.” Spectre mused at also seeing the children. His leader, on the other hand, didn’t share Spectre’s amusement of the situation. Revolver very much believed in the philosophy, the same one he inherited from his father, that the end result justified the means of getting there but  _ not  _ when it came to using children to complete your goal. He might be a world famous cyber-terrorist who has done many things he wasn’t proud of at times but after what happened 10 years ago during the Hanoi Project, that was one line he wasn’t crossing ever again. Now to see this group of kids near such a dangerous battlefield, regardless of how high they were away from it, it made Revolver anxious, like he was expecting something to go horribly wrong at any second now just like what happened to the Lost Children.

“Judging by your expression, it seems that I’m not.” Playmaker mused before taking off down the data stream once more. “I end my turn.”

**Turn 3:**

**Playmaker: Life Points: 4000. Hand: 1.**

**GO: Life Points: 350. Hand: 2.**

Go didn’t so much as move to draw his card. He was still staring up at the building where he knew the orphans he looked after were.  _ How long have they been here for? _ He wondered, gritting his teeth together in a mix between anger and concern for them.  _ They shouldn’t be here! _

“What’s wrong with Nii-chan?” Mimi asked, looking just as concerned as Go was. “He’s not doing anything.”

“I don’t know.” Itsuki said, trying to get a closer look over the railing without falling over. “It looks like...is he looking up at us?” He questioned at seeing the direction Go’s head was turned towards.

“Uh I think he is.” Hiroyuki agreed with a nervous laugh as he glanced down at his older brother figure. “I guess he found out about us.”

“They are safe.” 

Go looked away from the kids for a brief moment down at his duel disk. Zaizen.

“You knew they were there, didn’t you?” Go questioned, the anger in his tone quite clear.

“My sensors picked up the presence of three additional figures in the area a while ago so yes.” Akira confirmed but before Go could say anymore, such as why Akira didn’t inform him like he knew he would ask, he continued. “They are a safe height and distance away from the action. Where they are, they aren’t in any danger. You have no reason to worry about them. Just think of this as any of your other duels now. You are simply putting on a show for them and not a very good one from the way things have been playing out at the moment.”

Go wanted to curse Zaizen out for that one but stopped himself before he could. Whether he liked to admit it or not, he had a point. The kids were in a safe location away from the action and it wasn’t like he could stop the duel without forfeiting to make sure of it. Plus Akira was the Security Chief at SOL Technologies. It was in his job to make sure nothing bad happened to the people who were logged into Link Vrains. If he said they were safe, Go had no reason to mistrust him regardless of how much he wanted to. So Go let out a long breath to calm himself before saying to Akira:

“...you clearly have never seen any of my duels before, Zaizen.” Go replied and was the one to hang up the call this time around. While Go didn’t want them anywhere Link Vrains, they weren’t in any danger. Other then the fact that he was dueling this guy to get his AI and to protect Link Vrains, this was just like any other duel for Go and every time he dueled, he always made it out to be a show for is fans. Just because the cameras weren’t on him didn’t mean he should play any different, especially with his biggest fans watching him.

Go finally drew his card for his Draw Phase before looking up at the building where he knew his kids were watching him from.  _ Just you watch, everyone, your big brother is about to show you all why he’s the champion! _ Go turned back to his hand and selected the card he just drew. “I Tribute Gouki Twistcobra to Tribute Summon Gouki Bearhug.”

Gouki Twistcobra burst into yellow data bits to be reformed into another humanoid wrestler, this one wearing a bearskin as its choice of costume. 

**Gouki Bearhug: Effect Monster. Attribute: Earth. Type: Warrior. Level: 6.**

**Attack: 2400. Defense: 0.**

**Effect: If this card is Special Summoned by the effect of a "Gouki" card, or Normal Summoned: You can target 1 face-up monster your opponent controls; its ATK becomes half its original ATK, until the end of this turn. If this card is sent from the field to the GY: You can add 1 "Gouki" card from your Deck to your hand, except "Gouki Bearhug". You can only use each effect of "Gouki Bearhug" once per turn.**

“Gouki Twistcobra’s effect activates, allowing me to add a Gouki card from my Deck to my hand.” After doing just that, Go gestured to his new Gouki monster. “Gouki Bearhug activates when it is Normal Summoned or Special Summoned by the effect of a Gouki card. It allows me to half the original Attack Points of a monster on your side of the field until the end of the turn.”

Code Talker let out a wail as its original Attack Points were cut in half by the new Gouki.

**Code Talker #1: (ATK: 2100 - 650)**

“I now activate Gouki Re-Match.” Go played the card he just added to his hand.

**Gouki Re-Match.**

**Normal Spell.**

**Effect: Target 2 "Gouki" monsters in your GY with different Levels; Special Summon them in Defense Position. You can only activate 1 "Gouki Re-Match" per turn.**

“Gouki Re-Match allows me to Special Summon 2 Gouki monsters from my Graveyard into Defense Position. I Special Summon Gouki Twistcobra and Gouki Octostretch back from the Graveyard with this effect!”

Twistcobra along with the Gouki monster Go sent from his hand to the Graveyard, a light blue wrestler with what appeared to be a dark blue octopus on its back, rose from the grave and onto his field in Defense Mode.

“Appear, my circuit!” Go said, his own link portal appearing in front of him. “The summoning conditions are two Gouki monsters. I set Gouki Suprex and Gouki Octostretch in the Link Arrows!” His two warriors went into the Bottom and Left arrows. “Link Summon! Link 2! Gouki Jet Orge!”

The two Gouki monsters flew into the Link Markers in order to create the new Gouki Link Monster. Like its predecessors, this one was also dressed in wrestler attire but unlike its predecessors, this one carried a weapon, a sharp looking pirate sword, and just like its name suggested, it wore a jetpack on its back, using it to fly out of the circuit and onto the field. 

**Gouki Jet Orge: Link Monster. Attribute: Earth. Type: Warrior. Link: 2.**

**Attack: 2000. Link Arrows: Left and Bottom.**

**Material(s): 2 “Gouki” Monsters.**

**Effect: Once per turn: You can target 1 "Gouki" card you control; destroy it, and if you do, change all monsters on the field to Attack Position. If this card is sent from the field to the GY: You can make all "Gouki" monsters you currently control gain 500 ATK until the end of this turn. You can only use this effect of "Gouki Jet Ogre" once per turn.**

“Since Gouki Suprex and Octostretch were sent to the Graveyard, their effects activate, allowing me to add two Gouki cards from my Deck to my hand.” Go stated, adding two new Gouki cards to his hand: Gouki Riscorpio and Gouki Headbutt. Right after he did that, he discarded Gouki Riscorpio. “From my hand, I activate Gouki Headbutt’s effect. By decarding another Gouki card from my hand, I select another Gouki monster on my field,” he pointed to his Gouki Bearhug, “Gouki Headbutt can Special Summon itself from my hand in Defense Position, and then that target’s Attack Points are increased by 800!”

The new Gouki monster was a purple wrestler with bat-like elements added to his outfit such as wings and shape red claws. 

**Gouki Headbutt: Effect Monster. Attribute: Earth. Type: Warrior. Level: 2.**

**Attack: 800. Defense: 0.**

**Effect: If this card is in your hand: You can send 1 other "Gouki" monster from your hand to the GY, then target 1 "Gouki" monster you control; Special Summon this card in Defense Position, and if you do, the targeted monster gains 800 ATK until the end of this turn. If this card is sent from the field to the GY: You can add 1 "Gouki" card from your Deck to your hand, except "Gouki Headbatt". You can only use each effect of "Gouki Headbatt" once per turn.**

**Gouki Bearhug: (ATK: 2400 - 3200).**

“Appear once again my circuit!” Go commended, about to Link Summon once again. “The summoning conditions are two plus Gouki monsters! I set Gouki Jet Orge and Gouki Headbutt in the Link Arrows!” Headbutt, along with Jet Orge, who counted as two monsters when used as Link Material, flew into the bottom three markers. “Link Summon! Link 3! Gouki The Great Orge!”

The very same monster that took victory for Go in his duel against Hiroyuki rose onto the field with a mighty roar. 

**Gouki The Great Orge: Link Monster. Attribute: Earth. Type: Warrior. Link: 3.**

**Attack: 2600. Link Arrows: Bottom Left, Bottom, Bottom Right.**

**Material(s): 2+ "Gouki" monsters.**

**Effect: All monsters on the field lose ATK equal to their original DEF. If this card would be destroyed by battle or card effect, you can destroy 1 of your monsters this card points to instead.**

“Since Headbutt was sent to the Graveyard, he gets to search out another Gouki.” Ai mused to himself in annoyance, watching as Go did just that, adding another copy of Bearhug to his hand. “How many cards does he even have in that deck, sheesh.”

Playmaker simply glanced down at the Ignis. Looks like he figured out how to unmate himself finally within the duel disk. He would have to fix that later once this duel was over. 

“Gouki Jet Orge’s effect activities as well when it leaves the field. Until the end of my turn, all Gouki monsters I control gain 500 Attack Points.” Go stated.

**Gouki Twistcobra: (ATK: 1600 - 2100).**

**Gouki Bearhug: (ATK: 3200 - 3700).**

**Gouki The Great Orge: (ATK: 2600 - 3100).**

“I now activate Gouki Twistcobra’s effect. By tributing it, Gouki The Great Orge gains Attack Points equal to Twistcobra’s original Attack until the end of this turn.”

Once again, Gouki Twistcobra burst into yellow data bits which flew on over to the Great Orge who absorbed them in order to become stronger. 

**Gouki The Great Orge: (ATK: 3100 - 4700).**

Ai’s eye widen in shock. “4700 Attack Points!” He exclaimed. “If he attacks your weaken Code Talker with that thing, you will lose instantly, Playmaker-sama!” He looked up at Playmaker who remained completely unfazed at hearing that. “Why aren’t you panicking?!”

“He isn’t panicking.” Spectre noted Playmaker’s posture. “He must have something planned to get him out of this mess.”

“It is more than that, Spectre.” Revolver watched as Go turned his head to his tiny audience. 

Akira leaned back in his chair, satisfied with Go’s performance. All he had to do was call his attack with Gouki The Great Orge and deal the finishing blow and the Ignis would belong to his company once more.

“He won’t go for the kill.” Playmaker started, following Go’s gaze to where the children were watching him. “It isn’t in his nature-”

“-to take victory over the crowd’s entertainment.” Revolver finished narrowing his eyes.

“I’ll set a card.” A face down appeared then disappeared from Go’s side of the field. “Then Gouki Bearhug attacks the first Code Talker!” Go declared.

Akira stood up so quickly in shock that his chair fell backwards from the force. “What?!”

“He isn’t attacking with The Great Orge?” Ai was just as shocked but Playmaker continued to be unfazed by this new development. 

“Since Code Talker is linked to another monster, it can’t be destroyed by battle.” Playmaker stated as his weaken Code Talker, instead of being destroyed by Go’s monster, used its sword as a shield to defend itself from the blow.

“But you’ll still take the damage!”

Playmaker looked unfazed as his Life Points took a critical hit but unlike Go, he didn’t lose control of his board and was able to stable himself very quickly after the hit.

**Playmaker: Life Points: 4000 - 950**

“Alright, Go-nii-san-chan!” The kids cheered together. 

“That’ll show that meanie!” Mimi spoke, getting a nice shot of Go giving the children a thumbs up on her duel disk’s camera. 

“Yay! You don’t mess with the champion!” Hiroyuki agreed.

“Now kick his butt!” Itsuki practically screamed towards the heavens above that it was impossible not to hear him. Mimi and Hiroyuki followed suit with there own loud commentary.

Go smiled at that. These children spoiled him with their praise. “The audience has spoken, Playmaker! This is the end for you! Gouki the Great Ogre attacks your Code Talker!”

“And that  _ naivety _ of his is what’s going to cost him in the end.” Revolver declared as Go unleashed his final attack.

Playmaker held up the final card in his hand.“I send Profibit Snake from my hand to the Graveyard to activate its effect.” He stated, sending the monster to the Graveyard. 

**Profibit Snake: Effect Monster. Attribute: Light. Type: Cyberse. Level: 2.**

**Attack: 500. Defense: 1000.**

**Effect: At the start of the Damage Step, if your Cyberse Link Monster battles an opponent's monster: You can send this card from your hand to the GY; return that opponent's monster to the hand. When your Cyberse monster destroys an opponent's monster by battle and sends it to the GY, while this card is in your GY: You can banish 1 card from your GY, then target 1 Level 4 or lower Cyberse monster in your GY; add it to your hand. You can only use each effect of "Profibit Snake" once per turn.**

“Since an attack was declared against a Cyberse Link Monster I control, the opposition monster is returned to the hand, or in this case the Extra Deck, at the start of the Damage Step.”

“What?!” Go’s eyes widen in surprise as Playmaker countered his own OTK with his own hand trap, similar to how Go did last turn. Before the attack could connect and take out the rest of Playmaker’s Life Points, a yellow snake appeared from his hand and returned Go’s Link Monster back to the Extra Deck. After his shock subsided, it was quickly replaced with anger. “You were planning this all along, weren’t you?”

“I planned nothing. Your dueling style is just predictable.” Playmaker said nonchalantly. “I told you, you are nothing but a simple child and a simple child makes mistakes.”

“It wouldn’t have mattered if he attacked with his Great Orge first or second. He would have used Profibit Snake’s effect to bounce it back to his Extra Deck when it declared an attack and Playmaker would still have enough Life Points to survive to the next turn from Bearhug’s attack.” Revolver stated. “For someone who runs a Beatdown deck such as Onizuka Go, that’s not being predictable or making mistakes, that’s just exploiting his deck’s weakness.”

“It seems that Playmaker has been exploiting all of Onizuka’s weaknesses during this duel.” Spectre spoke watching in twisted glee at how mad Go seemed to be getting from this.

Go gritted his teeth in pure rage at Playmaker’s statement.  _ How dare you!  _ He thought before looking down at the card he setted. He might have taken another huge lose from Playmaker’s counter strategy but he still had cards that he could play. He wasn’t out of this duel just yet, especially not with his biggest fans watching him. “I end my turn.”

With it being the End Phase, the boost to Gouki Bearhug’s attack and the deduction of Code Talker’s were returned to normal. 

**Gouki Bearhug: (ATK: 3700 - 2400).**

**Code Talker #1: (ATK: 650 - 2100).**

**Turn 4:**

**Playmaker: Life Points: 950. Hand: 1.**

**GO: Life Points: 350. Hand: 1.**

“See? What did I tell you? You had nothing to worry about! Everything was going to be fine! You really shouldn’t have panicked so much, Playmaker-sama!” Ai grinned but soon sweat dropped when Playmaker glanced down at him, unamused. “Uh...anyway! Onizuka’s monster is still stronger than your two Code Talkers! You need to draw something that is stronger than it if you want to be able to beat him this turn!”

Playmaker only knowledge that by drawing his card for his Draw Phase. However, as soon as his fingers touched the card, a wave of pain shot up his arm. Playmaker flinched from the sudden shock and as soon as he saw what he drew, he quickly understood why.

“Uh Playmaker-sama?” Ai glanced up at Playmaker who seemed to have frozen in place at seeing what he just drew. If he still has his body, he would be snapping his fingers in front of Playmaker’s face. “Earth to Playmaker-sama! Are you there?”

**_SuMMoN mE, YuSAkU._ **

Another shock of pain coursed through Playmaker’s digital arm, this one much more intense then the initial one that it caused Playmaker to even stumble a bit on his board, this time much more noticeable with his audience.

_ What’s wrong with him?  _ Akira wondered, watching as Playmaker took ahold of his right arm, his head suddenly looking around in all kinds of directions, like he was frantically searching for something.

**_SUmmON mE._ **

Revolver let out a hiss, closing his eyes from the instant reaction to the pain in his right arm.  _ No, not now!  _ He thought, clenching his arm. 

**_SUMMON ME, FUJIKI YUSAKU!_ **

Playmaker screamed in pure agony. If he didn’t have everyone’s attention before of who was watching the duel, he definitely did now. 

“Playmaker?” Ai’s eye went wide in horror from the scream as the Ignis suddenly felt sick in his nonexistent stomach. He wondered if it was possible to throw up data even if he didn’t have a mouth to do so. Not that he had one to begin with or a digestive system for that matter.

“What the?” Go glanced over at Playmaker. “What’s he screaming about?”

“Ai…” Playmaker gasped out, much to Ai’s surprise. The Ignis watched as Playmaker’s gaze went up and out of pure curiosity, he followed where Playmaker was looking at. The children, the Ignis noted, but why was he looking at them for? “O-open up the Cyberse data…” He commended.

“What?” The A.I. questioned. “Why would I do that for? Especially after the fact that you so rudely put me on mute not to long ago. And how do you know that I can-?”

“Just do it!” Playmaker’s order turned into another bloody curdling scream from him.

***

“Security seems to be getting tighter each time we come here.”

Two figures, both dressed in black hoodies with said hoods up to cover their faces from view, stood outside the entrance of SOL Technologies’ main building, watching as a simple visitor had to pass a strict security test just to be able to enter the building. Even the people that worked at the company, that had badges and identification to prove it, were even having a difficult time trying to get passed the first line of security.

“It is probably even worse on the inside.” The other hooded figure, a female from their feminine tone, replied. “With the Knights of Hanoi gaining more members, SOL Technologies must be getting more cautious as to who they can trust.”

“So much for walking through the front door then.” The other person let out a sigh. “Not that would have worked out in the first place without causing a scene.”

“As we thought, we are going to have to go through the backdoor for this operation.” The female stated with a shake of her head. Why couldn’t anything be easy in their line of  _ work _ ? “But how are we going to be able to do that is the question.”

“I-” A sharp pain stabbed right through the first figure’s right arm, causing him to let out a surprise screech. Before the girl could ask him what was wrong, the same pain, like lightning, struck her own arm, and she let out a scream of pain, grasping the limb in agony.

“What’s going-?!” The girl let out another cry as the pain only got worse by the second, her arm at this point feeling like it was on fire.

“I don’t-” He couldn’t even finish his own sentence as he gritted his teeth to hold back his own cries of pain. He rolled up his sleeve to reveal a dark mark in the shape of a bird with a long neck and berk currently eating away at his skin, the source of the torment. 

The girl rolled up her sleeve, revealing a similar dark mark only her’s was in the shape of a fish that was also currently during the same thing as her partner’s. “Someone,” she cursed as her nails dug into her skin, “has angered the gods.”

***

“Kusanagi-san!”

Kusanagi Jin paused in the middle of his paperwork when he heard someone call for him. He looked over to see one of the nurses rushing over to him from down the hall.

“You forgot your phone.” She stated, holding the cellar device out to him.

Jin blinked in surprise, reaching toward his pocket to feel around for it only to find nothing. “Oh...thanks.” He replied, taking his phone back from her. The lock screen automatically turned on at the hand off, showing the wallpaper. It was a picture of Kusanagi Jin with his older brother, Shoichi, when they were much younger, doing a pose in front of their old farm house out in the country. They looked very happy together, especially Jin, who now stood before the nurse with a blank expression on his face.

The nurse smiled and nodded in response, turning to leave to head back to the room she came from but stopped when she heard the sound of a scream. She spun around to find Jin, no longer stoned face but instead the complete opposite, his face recoiled back in pain with his arm gripping his other one like he was just stabbed.

“Kusanagi-san!” The lady who was working the reception desk was the first to respond. “Are you okay?”

“I’m-” Another wail escaped his body, sweat starting to form between his brows, the grip on his arm tightening.

“You’re clearly not fine!” The nurse stated, her natural instincts to help those that were in pain kicking in and without asking for consent, she forced Jin to let go of his arm, rolled up his sleeve and was shocked to find what appeared to be the cause of his pain. It looked like some kind of tattoo, a body with two pairs of hands was the best way the nurse could describe it as. Infections weren’t uncommon when it came to getting tattoos but never in her life has she ever seen a tattoo start glowing purple because of it. “What in the-?”

The ceiling lights shattered all around them, causing the nurse, the receptionist, and everyone else in the area to panic, protecting their heads from the fallen glass as the whole area went completely dark. Emergency lighting soon kicked in and after making sure she, and everyone else was okay, the nurse was stunned to see that Jin had completely vanished. 

***

“Homura-kun, I’m surprised to see that Kiku-chan isn’t with you today.”

Homura Takeru smiled as he was handed his bagged groceries from one of the vendors of his hometown’s food market. “I’m just out doing some light grocery shopping for my grandparents.” He explained with a shrug. “I didn’t find it necessary to call her up to ask for her help when she’s probably in the middle of studying when I’m only getting a few things.”

“Well tell your grandparents I said hi.” The owner responsed as Takeru handed her the money in return. “As well as Kiku-chan if you happen to see her later today.”

“Will do,” Takeru went to leave but was ultimately stopped when out of nowhere, it felt like someone spilled hot acid down his right arm. He dropped his groceries, the items spilling everywhere as Takeru clenched his arm in pain, a scream of pure torture being released from his lips. 

“Takeru!” The owner yelled as she stopped was she was doing to rush on over to the teen. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” He stated through gritted teeth, the pain only seeming to get worse. “I’m fine.”

“You are not fine, young man!” The store owner pulled out her phone. “I’m calling your-”

“I said I’m fine!” He snapped and the food stand erupted into flames.

***

It took every ounce of Spectre’s willpower to keep himself from screaming in agony as he could feel his dark mark start to flare up. That didn’t stop it from starting to glow brightly through his uniform however. It was a good thing that Revolver was to distracted by his own glowing mark, a bright crimson red dragon head, that he was doing a terrible job of hiding from him and the pain that was being emitted from his, to notice or care about Spectre’s.

Still Spectre narrowed his eyes, from discomfort and annoyance as he watched Playmaker on the screen and his reaction to the outlash. If it was hurting this bad for him, and what Spectre could only guess the others as well, it had to be ten times worse for Playmaker for he was the one to trigger this in the first place. It was only knowing that that brought a simple smile back to Spectre’s pained expression.

***

When Soulburner logged into Link Vrains, he wasn’t expecting to be greeted by the sight of his comrades in the same hellish situation that he was. Three other dark robbed figures in yellow, blue, and green all with death grips on their arms with pain expressions hidden behind their hoods from their glowing purple birthmarks.

“What's-?” Soulburner couldn’t even get his question out without another round of pain being shot up his arm and it turning into a scream, followed by the sound of three more identical screams of nothing but just pure suffering.

“Playmaker.” The one in yellow spoke through gritted teeth. 

“He has really done it this time.” Green added in through his own pain.

“What did he do?” Soulburner questioned, looking between the three of them.

“The gods have chosen him.” Blue simply said, gesturing to the screen she just pulled up for them in the center of their meeting table. “And he is rejecting them.”

“And we are all paying the price for his choice.” Green snarled, referring to their marks.

***

Ai gulped. Now he wasn’t one to take orders, especially ones from the person that imprisoned him and has been making his life a living hell as of late, but now Playmaker was starting to freak him out from how much pain he appeared to be in. The thing that sealed the deal, however, was when his arm started to glow as that purple mark of his manifested through his bodysuit and onto his arm.

“Oh! You owe me big time for this one, Playmaker-sama!” Ai exclaimed as his eye started to glow. “Release Cyberse’s data material! Category: Data Storm! Stability: Online!”

The winds around them immediately picked up after that, causing the stream of data that Playmaker and Go were riding upon to start shaking. Go almost lost his balance once more at the rough data waves.

“Now what’s going on here?” Go questioned, looking forward to Playmaker’s form. “What are you-” 

It appeared out of nowhere. A tornado of data destroying everything that was in its path heading straight for the two duelists. Go let out a gasp, flying out of the way of it at the last second, as it made its way down the path they were flying acrossed. Playmaker however…

“Oh I hope you know what you are doing by using your Skill like this, Playmaker-sama.” Ai spoke seconds before they were devoured by the Data Storm.

“What is he-?” Soulburner paused in his sentence as it suddenly stopped. The pain in his arm. He looked down at it to find his purple mark fading away back into obscurity.

“The pain is gone.” Blue mused, looking down at her own arm and then the others to see that their purple marks have also stopped glowing.

“Did the gods finally decide we had enough?” Green asked, staring at the spot where his mark once was.

“No.” Yellow spoke, releasing his arm from its death grip. “They are only transferring all of our pain onto the one who caused it in the first place.”

_ If I knew this was going to be so entertaining, I would have made some popcorn.  _ Spectre thought with a smirk, truly enjoying the sight of two of his  _ favorite  _ people in so much pain. One who just threw himself into a tornado hopefully getting tore to piece from within and the other who looked ready to pass out right in front of him at any second from the amount of pain his mark was giving to him. Oh the gods have blessed him indeed.

_ What in the world is happening right now?  _ Revolver questioned, staring at his mark like it was a parasite. In all honestly, that truly was what it was as it was currently sucking the life out of him, making the leader of the Knights of Hanoi weaker and weaker by the second. Never before has his mark hurt like this before. When it got bad, it felt like his arm was literally on fire but this...this felt like he just touched the sun and the hot plasma was boiling him alive. His vision was starting to get blurry.

From within the Data Storm, Playmaker looked like absolute hell as well, his throat having gone raw from all the screams of pain that were pushed out of him. His glowing mark grew brighter by the second and everytime it did, Playmaker only seemed to get weaker that he didn’t even have the energy to yell anymore from the pain as he was bombarded by the winds of the Data Storm. It was a miracle that he hasn’t fallen off his board from all of this into the eye of the tornado. Even though his arm was screaming at him from the pain, and quite literally at this point, not to move it, Playmaker raised it and plunged it into the winds.

“I activate my skill, Storm Access!” 

**Storm Access**

**Skill**

**Effect: If the user has 1000 or less LP, the user randomly obtains a Cyberse Link Monster from a nearby Data Storm and adds it to their Extra Deck.**

“What is he doing?” Go questioned from the sidelines, barely able to see the glow that was coming from Playmaker’s bodysuit inside the Data Storm until he suddenly emerged from it with shaken legs. He truly didn’t look to be in the best condition to continue this duel. 

“My Skill, Storm Access, allows me to obtain a card from a Data Storm when I have 1000 of less Life Points.” Playmaker told him, his voice barely above a whisper now that if they weren’t in Link Vrains it would have been impossible to hear him,  holding up the card he just obtained which he was about to summon. “Appear! The circuit that leads to the future!” Playmaker commended, a Link Portal appearing in front of him and his two Cyberse monsters. “The summoning conditions are two Link Monsters. I set both of my Code Talkers in the Link Arrows!” The two warrior-like monsters flew into the Top and Bottom arrows, completing the circuit. “Link Summon! Link 2! Double Byte Dragon!”

The monster that emerged from the circuit was a long serpent-like dragon with a head on each end of its body. Its body was black with green highlights and yellow electricity flowing through it, appearing to have the appearance of a double sided cable with claws.

**Double Byte Dragon: Link Monster. Attribute: Dark. Type: Cyberse. Link: 2.**

**Attack: 1500. Link Arrows: Top and Bottom.**

**Material(s): 2 Link Monsters.**

**Effect: Gains ATK equal to the total Link Rating of the monsters used for its Link Summon x 300. Unaffected by other monsters' effects, except Link Monsters'. Cannot be destroyed by battle, except with a Link Monster.**

Another round of pain creeped up Playmaker’s arm and while he still flinched from it, the pure adrenaline that was now coursing through his veins drown it mostly out. He needed to finish this duel now. “When Double Byte Dragon is Link Summoned, it gains Attack Points equal to the total Link Rating of its materials times 300.” Playmaker explained gesturing to his new Link Monster flying beside him. “Both of the Code Talkers were Link 2 monsters, meaning that Double Byte Dragon gains 1200. In addition, Cynet Universe gives Double Byte Dragon an extra 300 attack points as well.”

**Double Byte Dragon: (ATK: 1500 - 3000).**

“3000 Attack Points.” Go gasped at the monster’s states. With Gouki Bearhug having 2400 ATK and only having 350 Life Points left to his name, if Playmaker declared an attack with that Cyberse Monster and it connected, it was game over for him. 

However, instead of attacking right away with his new monster, Playmaker only seemed to stare behind Go, like he was watching something in the distance.

“What are you looking at now?” Go questioned in annoyance. Nothing ever good has come from Playmaker’s wandering gaze since the beginning of this duel and Go didn’t think this time was any different.

“Uh…” Ai laughed nervously inside the duel disk. “My bad, Playmaker-sama…in retrospect, I probably should have informed you that I can’t exactly recall the Data Storms once they are summoned. Well at least it aren’t our problem! Those children however...”

Go’s blood went cold at that final sentence. It was brief but the message was crystal clear. He spun around on his D-Board, now looking behind him to see the Data Storm heading straight for the building where his kids were at. Everything that came into contract with it along the way was being destroyed instantly meaning...

“Mimi! Hiroyuki! Itsuki!” Go screamed in pure fright.

“What’s going on down there?” Hiroyuki asked, looking down at the two duelists who seemed to have stopped mid-air on the data stream. “Why aren’t they moving? Is the field broken or something?” He didn’t understand this new style of dueling at all.

“I have no idea.” Itsuki spoke with a frown. “It sounds like Nii-san is screaming about something. But what?” He wondered. He had a really bad thing about this.

“Uh guys…” Mimi said suddenly, catching the two boys’ attentions from her tone of voice. “I think we may have a problem here.” She mumbled, her voice layered with fear.

“Yeah and it is the fact that Go-nii-san is losing and the field is broken!” Hiroyuki stated in his own fit of irritation at this predicament.

“I don’t think she is referring to that, Hiroyuki.” Itsuki gulped once he turned and saw what Mimi was so shaking up about. Go currently on the losing side was the least of their problems.

“What could she possibly be referring to that’s worse then-!”

The Data Storm crashed into the skyscraper, ripping it apart into simple data bits. Thankful it was moving to fast across Link Vrains that it wasn’t able to catch the children up in its vortex that would have destroyed their digital forms instantly but that put the three orphans into a different predicament. With no solid surface to stand on, gravity, which for some reason was still a thing even in this digital universe, took effective and they were now falling and fast down towards the ground, all three of them screaming bloody murder as it happened.

Go didn’t hesitate, turning his board around to head straight for the children. However, with the winds flowing against him, he wasn’t getting very far and he most certaining wasn’t going to be able to reach them in time. With a curse, Go looked over at his monster.

“Bearhug!” Go exclaimed to his monster and automatically understanding his master’s wishes, the monster flew away from Go’s side to where the children were falling. Hiroyuki and Itsuki continued to scream until both the boys felt a pair of fluffy arms catch them. Mimi on the other hand wasn’t as lucky as her tinier form slipped through the Gouki monster’s already full hands. If Go’s eyes weren’t bug eyed wide before, they were now.

“Mimi!” He screamed.

A black blur shot past Go that he didn’t even have time to process what it was until he saw what happened next. Double Byte Dragon catching Mimi from her fall and saving her life from any actual damage done to it in the real world. Go was completely speechless, looking over at Playmaker in disbelief as his Link Monster, and Gouki Bearhug, delivered the kids to a safe building out of harm's way.

“He saved the girl.” Green mused, his tone sounding as surprised as the expressions on Soulburner and Blue’s faces with his own mix of amusement added in as he glanced over at Yellow. “I take it he isn’t supposed to do that, Aether?”

The one in Yellow, finally addressed as Aether by his comrade, only glanced over at Green in acknowledgment before he turned back to the screen to continue to watch this duel.

“Oh you are truly digging your own grave now, Playmaker.” Spectre mused with a cheerful smirk seconds after he watched Revolver’s body hit the ground. Seems his oh so glorious leader finally passed out from the pain from his mark. And here Spectre thought he would have to put him out of his mercy. What a disappointment. 

Once he made sure the kids were actually safe, Go spun back around to catch up to Playmaker who he now stared at like he was dueling a completely different person. “Not that I’m not thankful, and I am, but why did you save her?” Go questioned Playmaker.

“I have my reasons.” Was Playmaker’s only reply, speeding down further on the data steam as he called his monster back to his side.

“Well whatever those reasons may be, I owe you-”

“And now I believe it is time to finish this. Double Byte Dragon! Attack Gouki Bearhug with Polarity Blast!” Playmaker declared with his Link Monster, continuing the duel.

Double Byte Dragon’s two heads turned towards Go, both of them charging up a beam inside of their twin mouths to fire at and destroy Go’s monster.

_ So much for being grateful. _ Go thought looking down at where his facedown was. This card was his only chance of being able to make a comeback and win this duel.

“I activate my face down, Arrivalrivals!” Go countered, revealing his set card. 

**Arrivalrivals.**

**Quick-Play Spell.**

**Effect: During the Battle Phase: Immediately after this effect resolves, Normal Summon 1 monster. You can only activate 1 "Arrivalrivals" per turn.**

“During the Battle Phase, I’m allowed to perform a Normal Summon.” Go said, selecting the final card in his hand to play it. “I tribute the Gouki Bearhug that’s on my field to Tribute Summon the second copy of the one in my hand.”

The Bearhug that was on the field burst into data bits in order to be reformed anew.

“The Gouki Bearhug that was sent to the graveyard effect now activities, allowing me to add a Gouki card from my deck to my hand.” Go stated, adding a copy of Gouki Re-Match to his hand. “In addition, the Bearhug on the field effect activities when Normal Summon, halving the original Attack Points of your Double Byte Dragon until the end of the turn.”

“Oh no!” Ai exclaimed, twitching out inside the duel disk. “Since Double Byte Dragon’s original ATK is 1500, it will be cut in half to 750! Bearhug is now the stronger monster and if this attack connects, you will be the one to lose, Playmaker-sama!”

Go grinned at that. That A.I. said all he needed to know. This match was as good as his!

Playmaker, however, didn’t look at all worried. Instead, he looked away from Go’s monster towards the horizon. “Double Byte Dragon is unaffected by monster effects that aren’t Link Monsters.” He explained to both Go and the Ignis.

Go’s grin quickly faded from his face at Playmaker’s statement. “What?!” He exclaimed, watching as Gouki Bearhug’s effect had no effect on the Cyberse Monster who only continued to charge up its final attack on the warrior.

“Like I said, you are nothing but a child who is trying to play the role of a hero. Yet you couldn’t even do that when the situation called for it.” Playmaker stated, glancing back over at Go in almost disgust mixed in with his pained expression before resuming his attack. “Double Byte Dragon! Finish him!”

On its master’s commanded, the two heads of the Cyberse Dragon let loose the powerful energy beams from their mouths, destroying Gouki Bearhug and taking out the rest of Go’s Life Points and Go himself, knocking him off his D-Board.

**Playmaker: Life Points: 950. Hand: 1.**

**GO: Life Points: 0. Hand: 0.**

**Playmaker Wins!**

Go let out a groan, sitting upright to make sure that nothing was damage once more. He couldn’t believe he just lost, he the Link Vrains champion, and in front of the kids just like that. He didn’t know how he could face them ever again after that defeat. Playmaker got him though whether he would like to admit it or not. He looked up to the data stream to see where Playmaker had gone but that was just it, he was gone, just like that and the data stream along with it. What was this whole new duel? Go questioned, standing up. Well that didn’t matter at the moment. He might have failed Zaizen’s request but at least the kids were okay.

Speaking of which, three different variations of his name were heard, causing Go to look up to see Mimi, Hiroyuki, and Itsuki making their way down the fire escape towards their big brother figure. All three of the kids had stars in their eyes when they reached him.

“You were amazing, Nii-chan!” Mimi told him.

“Just what I expected from our champion!” Hiroyuki added in.

Go generally looked surprised at that statement. “You still think of me as a champion even after that lose?”

“Of course!” Itsuki said with a smile that Mimi and Hiroyuki copied. “Why wouldn’t we?”

Go didn’t know what to say to that. He didn’t need to though as his face did all the talking for him as tears started to form at the corners of his eyes. He truly did love these children.

“Nii-chan, are you crying?” Mimi asked with a head tilt. 

“Of course not! I just got something in my eye!” Go defended himself, quickly wiping away the tears. “There is no way your champion would cry!”

“Yeah! Go-nii-san would never cry, even at losing!” Hiroyuki exclaimed. “Especially in front of a camera”

“Camera?” Go questioned, surprised. “What camera?”

“I filmed the whole duel...well the parts where we weren’t falling anyway.” Mimi stated, turning her duel disk to the side to show Go. “See!”

Go took a look at the footage and indeed Mimi did film the whole thing, from the good to the bad but there was one big problem with her shooting skills.

“You weren’t filming it, Mimi,” Go told her, wide eyed, “you were broadcasting.”

Mimi blinked. “Broadcasting?”

“He means that the whole thing was being filmed live.” Itsuki told her, pushing a button on her duel disk, bringing up the stats on the video. “And judging by the number of views that it got, this duel went viral.”

***

Humans were like glass compared to artificial intelligence such as himself, Ai had come to note during his time with Playmaker, it didn’t take much for their bodies to completely shut down, and while that wasn’t necessary the case with his captor, whatever it was that Playmaker decided not to play during his duel against Go was severely taking a toll on his body, even in digital form, long since the duel reached a conclusion. He wasn’t on good teams with him sure, but Ai was even starting to worry about Playmaker’s condition. When Playmaker teleported them back to his home server, it seemed to take the last of his energy as he was now barely holding himself up against the wall with one arm while the other was still glowing that purple tattoo of his. From what Ai could conclude from this, it seemed that whatever that mark was that appeared on his arm when Playmaker drew that monster on his final turn of that duel, was what was hurting him. Everytime the light that emitted from it brighten, Playmaker’s face curled back in pain like he was holding back a scream. Pure adrenaline was what was keeping him going during the end of that duel and now that it was gone, Playmaker truly looked ready to pass out at any moment now.

Ai didn’t know what to do in this kind of situation. Playmaker has been nothing but a absolute pain to be around since he was captured but that didn’t mean he actually wanted to see him get hurt. Ai was fairly sure he had a heart somewhere in his coding, well maybe not anymore since he was now nothing more than an eyeball, but regardless of technicalities, he wanted to help. If this was some of virus in his programing, he could easily eat it up.

Just before he was about to shapeshift into his monstrous form, truly fitting for the Dark Ignis, to get rid of what he assumed to be a bug in Playmaker’s programming, the sound of footsteps from the other end of the hall coming closer to them put Ai on pause, especially when he saw an identical glowing purple light being illuminated from the figure.

“My, that was quite the spectacle you put on for us, Playmaker. Wasn’t much of a fan of the interactive portion of the show though.”

It was the figure in the orange cloak who stepped out of the shadows with a large grin across his face, clapping his hands together slowly. The thing that Ai noticed first however was the glowing mark on his arm, very reminiscent to the one that was currently causing Playmaker so much pain but the design was drastically different. While Playmaker’s looked like an arrowhead pointing in three directions, this guy’s was obviously a tree with multiple branches and roots on the bottom.

Playmaker simply glanced over in the other male’s direction but didn’t say anything as another shock of pain coursed through his arm and into the rest of his body. He wasn’t going to be standing for much longer with how bad his legs were shaking to hold his weight.

The orange figure also made note of Playmaker’s struggle and his grin only widen in sadistic glee, pausing in the middle of his slow clap. “You really have outdone yourself this time if the gods are still punishing you for your actions, oh Dark One.”

“What do you want, Spectre?” Playmaker spoke between breaths, moving his body so his back was now leaning up against the wall with his arm now wrapped up holding his other one. Ai didn’t think that was going to do anything to lessen his pain though.

The orange figure, Spectre, simply shrugged with his light blue eyes closed. “Nothing really. I just enjoy seeing you finally get your just desserts, Playmaker, but if you really want a reason as to why I came to torment you, I think I can come up with a good enough excuse. Hmmm, oh I know.” He blinked open his eyes, his sclera now pure black just like Playmaker’s. Along with the matching sclera and similar dark mark on his arm, Spectre also now had a red pattern going down the side of his cheek from the bottom of his right eye, his looking like tree roots compared to Playmaker’s three simple lines down the side of his face. “You almost blew my cover that I spent so many years building up for us. It’s a good thing that Revolver-sama doesn’t know how to look over his shoulder or else I might have had to stab a bitch in order to keep my secret.”

Playmaker’s eyes narrowed sharpy. Ai gulped as Playmaker’s entire body language changed at the mention of Revolver’s name. Gone was the fragile human that looked ready to pass out at any moment and back was the demon in sheep’s clothing that could kill you with a single glare. Seriously, if looks could kill, Spectre would be boiling in hell right now and in Playmaker’s eyes, that would be  _ mercy _ . 

“I’m warning you, Spectre, if you-”

“If I what?” Spectre leaned forward, studying Playmaker with that all knowing smirk of his. “If I hurt your precious  _ savior _ ? Oh Playmaker, from where I’m standing, you couldn’t even hurt a fly, literally speaking. You really think you can threaten me in your condition? That’s adorable. Truly, I appalle you for even having the energy to try and seem intimidating but we both know you don’t have what it takes to kill me. You couldn’t even bring yourself to take the souls of defenseless children which is how you found yourself in this sorry shape of yours in the first place. To think the gods chose  _ you  _ to become one of us. Oh how they must be regretting that decision right about now,  _ you pathetic excuse for a Dark Signer. _ ”

“Funny, from where I’m standing, the only pathetic one I’m seeing is you, Spectre.”

Spectre paused, his lips curving back in distaste. “I don’t remember pulling your string.”

“I don’t remember asking for your opinion to begin with.” Soulburner spoke from behind him, his arm crossed and his dark golden eyes narrowed. Just like the other two males, he also had a glowing purple mark on his arm that was shining brightly in the dark, his in the shape of a dog, and a red pattern on the side of his face, his contrasting from the other two with his being flames going up towards his eyebrow.

Spectre turned around at that, hands on his hips as he faced the one cloaked in red. “Come to defend your master as always, little puppy?” He questioned.

“Unlike you, I’ve come to make sure my comrade is okay instead of provoking him like an idiot.” Soulburner corrected him, before waving Spectre off. “Now how about you do us all a giant favor, Spectre, and  _ make like your mother and leave.” _

Now it was Spectre’s turn to be triggered by the use of Soulburner’s words but instead of reacting, he put on a force smile instead. “If you want to waste your time with him, be my guest. I have important matters that I have to take care of anyway to be bothered toying with you two.”

Playmaker, whose condition seemed to have worsen once more, and Ai watched as Spectre disappeared down the hall. Once the glow of his mark had finally faded from their sight, Soulburner turned to Playmaker, his eyes still narrowed in annoyance.

“Don’t need a babysitter, huh?”

“If you wish to get on my cause too, Soulburner, then make it fast.” Playmaker simply stated, his dark green eyes meeting Soulburner’s golden ones. “I’ve already wasted enough time here as it is because of a false nuisance. I just wish to log out and return to the real world.”

“I didn’t come here to criticize you, Playmaker.” Soulburner said, his arms lowering to his side. “But you need to understand the full consequences of your actions.” He placed his hand over his own mark, his expression softing into one of sympathetic nature towards his companion. “I felt it too. We all did. When you anger one of them, you anger all of them and they take it out on us as well. They don’t care about a time or a place, they will make themselves known at the worst possible moment to make their message known to all six of us that we can’t defile them. They will expose us to the world and we can’t have that happen yet.”

“You think I don’t know that?” Playmaker asked, his own grip on his mark tightening that Ai was sure would have cut off blood circulation in his real form.

“To be honest, I’m not sure.” Soulburner answered with a shake of his head. “You have always been the selfish one, Playmaker, your own personal desires before the needs of the group. The  _ Signer _ for instance-”

“Ryoken has  _ nothing  _ to do with this,  _ Takeru _ .”

“He  _ always _ has something to do with all of your actions,  _ Yusaku.” _

***

“Well that was fun!” Ai chimed when Yusaku finally logged out of Link Vrains after that long and annoying interrogation session. Ai was getting some serious deja vu from it. Guess the apple truly didn’t fall far from the tree after all between him and Yusaku. “By the way, why didn’t you summon that monster?” Yusaku glanced down at the Ignis, and at seeing his cold gaze, Ai quickly realized that this wasn’t something Yusaku was willing to discuss. “I mean...I saw part of its effect, Yusaku-chan, you could have won instantly if you just played it. Why didn’t you?”

To Ai’s surprise, instead of telling him to shut up, Yusaku actually answered him.

“Somethings are just not worth the sacrifice, Ai.” Yusaku spoke softly, taking off his duel disk with shaky fingers and setting it off to the side of his desk. “Those children...I know what it is like to fall into the abyss at such a young age...they shouldn’t have their lives taken from them before they even began like mine was, especially when they don’t have an  _ angel _ to guide them back home.”

“Huh? What do you mean by-Yusaku!”

Yusaku’s body collapsed onto the ground with a loud thump, his dark mark glowing brightly through his school uniform. Blood stained the right sleeve where the mark was cutting into him, causing it to flood down his arm and onto the floor where he laid.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So to clarify a few things because again, I'm bad at describing things, this is what everyone's Dark Signer marks are:  
> Yusaku: The Triangle  
> Takeru: The Dog  
> Spectre: The Tree  
> Jin: The Hands  
> Miyu: The Fish  
> Windy's Origin: The Heron
> 
> Yusaku, Takeru, and Spectre's marks are finalized but Jin, Miyu, and WO's might end up changing because I'm basing them around their decks and at the time of writing this, we haven't seen those last three duel yet. Jin's Link Vrains account is called Aether in this because with how things are going in the anime, it doesn't look like Jin is getting a Link Vrains avatar and I wanted to give him one (and more detail about that later on). I already got a name and design planned for Miyu as well because again, with how things are going in the anime, I don't think she is going to get one. WO is up in the air at the moment for obvious reasons. 
> 
> As for the Signers, the only one confirmed at the moment is Ryoken, obviously, who has the Head of the Crimson Dragon. I'm taking my time on revealing who all six of them are (but you guys can start making guesses as to who the last five are now) but it isn't a question of who is a Signer, it is a question of why.


End file.
